Parachutes
by olansamuelle
Summary: Sequel to Inside and last part of the series. With Lex in prison and a baby on the way, Clark and Lois await in wonder for their lives to change forever. The unexpected happens and danger gets painfully real.
1. Prologue: a new day starts

_**Parachutes**_

**Summary: **Sequel to _Inside_ and last part of the series. With Lex in prison and a baby on the way, Clark and Lois await in wonder for their lives to change forever. The unexpected happens and danger gets painfully real.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **as I did when I posted _Inside_, I've added a reader's guide, as the gap between Inside and Parachutes has been the longest. For those who have not read the previous stories (_**Link**_, _**Knall**_, _**Inside**_), this guide spoilers everything. Hope you guys enjoy it! As I usually do when I post a multichapter fic, the whole thing is written and mostly edited, so that will allow me to update regularly, around 2-3 times a week, I hope. I can't almost believe I finished the series! Fluffiness ahead, btw.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Prologue "A new day starts" **__**BETA**_

_Some people hate to get up in the mornings; others love it. Some need devices to help them wake up. Not me. At least not anymore. Now I open my eyes, sometimes well before sunrise and let myself linger in the peace and quiet of the room. I think my old self still can't believe it._

_Stretching lazily, I extend my arm forward, and find his side of the bed empty, and the cold spot suggests he's been gone for a while now. Doesn't matter, he'll be back yes or yes, and the reason for that makes me smile in anticipation: he will be back only to spend time with me before we have to get up. He hasn't told me, but he really doesn't need to. At some point during these past four months, he's made some kind of private oath and he's sticking to it. Considering who he is to the world, greeting the day in his arms every single morning is a miracle in itself._

_Miracles.__ God, I have to salute that word. Miracles. They do happen sometimes, and when you least expect them, like the last one. Finally. At last. _

_I have blinds in our bedroom.__ And it only took for me to get pregnant and develop an uncanny ability to walk the line between solicitous attention and stalking overprotection, shifting the balance in my favor._

_And it hasn't been easy, but goddammit, I'm a Lane. If I can't do it, no one can. Honestly, I don't think I've ever threatened Clark with kryptonite as much as I've done these past four months. And if only it had been him. But no. No. I had to have the whole freaking family/JLA squad ready to jump at the slightest move, attempt to open a door, carry a heavy box or do any other kind of stupid Danielle Steel pink-teeth-rotting-sugarcoated thing. All of them. Luce; the general; Martha; Chloe; Chris (my soft spot, he's so adorable I can't help it); Dinah; Ollie._

_Ollie. He has appointed himself as my personal bodyguard whenever Clark's not around. And to think my first impression was to spend more time with him as reprieve. I love him, I really do, but not this corny side of him. I want him back. Of everyone else, he is the one who has known me the longest in a more intimate level, so to speak, family aside. We've been friends for what… eighteen years now? JesusMaryJoseph, I've lost count. And I don't want to think what would happen if he lived in Metropolis and if Dinah, a little more successful when it comes to restraining herself from acting like a mother hen, were not there. Ollie is a sweetheart. It's just that sometimes I want to kill him a little._

_H__mmm. There's someone feeling a little restless this morning. My hand travels to the smooth skin, feeling the slight movement and following it, my mind picturing all sorts of images about what might be happening in there, borrowing Clark's little pass time. _

_Ever since I told him I didn't want to know the baby's sex the first time he peeked, he resolved to at least let me know what it does, guiding my hand as he sees the moves and describes them. I try not to look at him when he does that, because I feel my legs weak and then I mentally turn into a puddle. The awed innocent kid of farmers takes command of those eyes, helplessly surrendered by the miracle we have created together._

_I have turned into a mush-ball. I just know. My personal achievement has been to keep it in the privacy of our room. Dear hormones, I hate you._

_I shift my position to find a more comfortable spot for my belly; the little thing is determined to make him or herself noticed. And then, whatever smile has been on my face since the moment I greeted this morning, turns into a grin as I listen to a very familiar sound of windows closing._

_Clark's home._

_**OOO**_

The small gesture of closing the window signals the start of one of his most treasured moments of the day. The world he sees starting to awake from the other side of the windowpane grows silent in his mind as he turns it towards her.

Them.

_Us._

He grins, smiling is simply not enough these days, and he starts walking towards their bedroom while he takes off the costume, red and blue landing randomly on the floor. For an instant he realizes something and stops. He smells himself to check none of the smoke from the fire he stopped on his way back home remains on his skin.

No smell.

All clear.

He pushes the door, letting his ears get lost in his favorite sounds in the universe, their heartbeats. Lois' is beating slightly quicker than when she's asleep. "Lois?" Soon he's by her side, gazing at her with concerned eyes. She looks tired. As gently as he can, he rubs her face with his thumb. A lazy hazel eye opens and he smiles sympathetically at the forming black circles under her eyes. She hasn't slept well.

"I have a new kind of silent alarm clock," she states smiling despite the tiredness.

"I'm sorry, hon."

The second eye opens too and joins the other one, fixing on cerulean. "Why? Do you enable him to kick while I sleep?," she deadpans, raising an eyebrow for further dramatic effect.

A snort is heard as the blinds open, and the shy raising sun floods the room. Before she knows it, he's already slid next to her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead and opening his arms so she can turn and rest her back on his broad chest, enveloped in his embrace. It's become a silent ritual they both relish.

"Good morning," she says while she gets to her comfortable spot.

"Looks like it."

"Any worthy news today?," she asks, more to make idle conversation than anything else.

"Not in this part of the world."

"Then we will have to move our asses to get the news, Kent."

"Quite probably. But not now," he says as he snuggles as close as her as he can.

"Pffft." She snorts lazily. It's not as if I was going to get up at this ungodly hour." She closes her eyes as a pair of very gentle and warm lips nibble her neck.

"So…," he teases.

"So...," she answers smiling.

"… Any news lately?," he asks, hoping she will tell him something new she's felt, or the baby has done.

"It moved."

His hand travels the distance towards her belly. "Hey, slugger."

"If you manage to stop it, the world can say goodbye to Superman. You're mine 24/7."

"The world might disagree with that."

"The world can kiss my journalistic butt."

At this very moment, the world can kiss his too. He focuses on the task at hand while his mind wanders in the memories of the bliss they've been given, of the incredible things that have happened to them, of the endless gratefulness he felt when they found out she was pregnant, of the mixture of anger and fear she felt when Lex told her he knew. Even if it was from behind bars in a prison. Lex still nagged in his mind, contemptuous laughter refusing to fade away. It took some effort to put Lex aside in his mind, but he managed. Lex didn't deserve that time. The baby and Lois did. Chris did. Chloe did. As he let his body drift off to sleep, he remembered the day that had, at last, brought both cousins back together.

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **I used **Ane Brun**'s "_Linger with pleasure_" as background music to write this fluffy prologue. As soon as I get the soundtrack together, I'll let you know.

_**READER'S GUIDELINE**_

For those who don't remember all the events having taken place in the prior stories of the arc (_**Link,**_ _**Knall **_and _**Inside**_) or those who really don't want to read them but are enjoying this one, there's a complete account on characters and events happened so far more than enough to get a fresh start at the end of this prologue. Includes, like the stories, spoilers for Smallville Season 8 and an indirect mention regarding season 9's episode _'Kandor'_. All canon concerning Smallville goes up until 8x22 'Doomsday' and occasionally mentions things from Season 9. For those who have not read _**Link,**_ _**Knall**_ or _**Inside**_, take into account that the _Parachutes Arc_ is set in an alt. Smallville future, set in 2020.

_**OOOOO**_

_**PARACHUTES ARC: THE CHARACTERS AND MAIN EVENTS SO FAR**_

_**Lois **_and _**Clark**_, unmarried (just because Lois doesn't want to) but forever in love; working on the Daily Planet since like always. Mainly following Smallville, but with a few comic canon events, the main one being _**Chris**_, biological son of Zod and adopted by Clark and Lois almost as soon as he got to Earth (which in reality means as soon as Lois was convinced she wanted to give it a try). Lois still carries a great pain due to the loss of Chloe, more than a decade ago, at the hospital from the severe wounds inflicted by Zod.

Suspecting that a returned Lex, surprise candidate to the current Presidential elections, wants more than the mere fact of living inside the White House, Lois has a nasty public encounter with him during a public rally (_**Link**_), which leaves her out of the follow-up of the campaign and the candidates at the Planet, but otherwise completely engaged in digging out all the dirt concerning Luthor. All overprotective on her, Clark asks her to stay out of it, because there's already have been a death related to this, and he'll do it even asking Oracle for help. He believes that they need to catch some murderers before Lois can get to any information available. And amid all this chaos, including also a job offer from Perry about some foreign correspondence in investigative journalism, Lois' biological clock decides to start ticking. So after a lot of thinking and talking, Lois and Clark decide they are going to try to have a baby. At that moment they receive a call from Ollie: they have located several Luthor facilities, and Chris was being held captive in one of them. _**Inside**_ starts with them going to the Watchtower to visit _**Chris**_, in some sort of coma from which he soon awakes, physically ok, but with one slight problem: his skin is not invulnerable. Chris, otherwise happy to be back, and in order to protect who he considers his parents, claims to not remember everything, when his mind has clear memories of him being tested and experiments performed on him and on another unidentified woman Lex bears no sympathy for. Lois and Clark decide to keep him hidden in the Watchtower, where he spends most of his time. The same substance that affected Chris' physiology is hidden on their apartment and affects Clark. Whatever happens during that time, it seems to have made possible for them to conceive, and just when Barbara's murders have been imprisoned and Chloe decides it's time for her to return to Metropolis (see Chloe), Bruce comes to their apartment to settle things with Clark; he has the kryptonite ring, and he suddenly realizes it affects Lois the same way. A visit to Emil confirms it: Lois is pregnant. When everything seems to be finally ok, Lois visits Lex at the prison: he knows she's pregnant.

_**OO**_

_**Ollie**_and _**Dinah**_, married and in love to the very core. Ollie, following a possible evolution from Smallville canon, has become the leader of the JLA. Friend to Lois and Clark to infinity and beyond, still acts as the hero Green Arrow, but his role as the Leage's head strategist also gets him off the field to assign teams and design protocols. Worried about Dinah's wellbeing, as she has just lost her best friend, he's there for her no matter what. He is the one who helped Chloe disappear from Smallville (see Chloe's profile below) and who supported her in every possible way, economical or otherwise. Dinah has only been a few episodes in Smallville, so her past in here is mainly from comic canon (_Green Arrow_ and _Birds of Prey_). Works in the field, and together with Ollie and Clark, is one of the few aware of Oracle's new and secret identity. Loves her husband, loves her friends and while mourning and dealing with the loss of her best friend Babs, she has had a key role in Dick's and Helena's road to recovery from their loss. Inside, she's still reeling from the pain of Babs' death. During _**Inside**_, the identity of Barbara's murderers is exposed, and she finds out _**Shiva**_ is one of them. She goes with _**Helena/Huntress**_ to take her down, as this is even more personal than she thought. Making Helena promising she won't fight Shiva unless she is down, and after a hard fight, she wins, and Shiva is taken back by plane, causing an impromptu reunion of the remaining original Birds of Prey, having Chloe sent Zinda to carry them back home.

_**OO**_

_**Chloe Sullivan**_, aka _**Ella Hunt**_, aka _**Oracle**_. Thinking it was the best way to protect her beloved cousin Lois, after all the turmoil coming from _Doomsday_ (including Lois disappearing and Chloe thinking her dead and, of course, Jimmy's demise) and almost dying at Zod's hand (out of Smallville's 9th season, in here the real Zod comes with the orb, causes havoc and tries to kill her), Chloe decides to fake her death and get away from Metropolis. She is helped by Ollie and asks him and Clark to respect her decision. Over more than ten years there is no contact with Clark, and all relationship with Ollie is strictly professional. Due to the loss of a leg when she is attacked by Zod, Chloe spends her first months after her faked death in Gotham, where she meets at the hospital a woman named Barbara Gordon, ignoring that Barbara, also known as the first Batgirl, is Oracle, the older version of Chloe's Watchtower, stationed in Gotham City. And also ignoring that Barbara knows who Chloe Sullivan is, and is currently working with Batman in trying to know more about this new emerging group of superheroes calling themselves the Justice League. Both women will eventually develop a good friendship, and even when Chloe finally moves to London, assuming the identity of Ella Hunt, she helps Oracle from time to time. At the beginning of _**Link**_ we learn that due to happy personal circumstances affecting Barbara, Chloe is going to take over Oracle for a few months. Barbara's death changes everything, and Chloe makes the decision of going back to the States, to Gotham City, assuming Oracle's identity permanently, accepting Ollie's offer to work for the League full-time and focusing on trying to find out what is Lex planning with both his meteoric political career and his clandestine laboratories, the last of which yielded the body of a Kryptonian boy named Chris. She still knows it is not safe to go back to Metropolis, but, once more in order to protect Lois, she talks to her as Oracle trying to get her cousin away from the danger a mission in diapers dealing with Lex Luthor and at least three mysterious assassins poses. She discovers that the kryptonite is an element with the similar atomic structure than uranium thus explaining the high levels of radioactivity no doubt responsible of the fast effects on kryptonians. Her current assignment is to work with Bruce in both solving the case of Barbara's murder, for which she ultimately needs to decrypt all the information downloaded the night of the crime, and finding out what's been going on at Luthor's facilities, so the final goal, getting Lex behind bars once and for all, can be achieved. Maybe then she can think of coming back? _**Inside**_ tells how she and Batman unveil the identity of Barbara's murderers, she decrypts the last bits of information from Barbara's recovered files during _**Link**_, giving them the remaining data about Lex's facilities, including the one sheltering the other pod containing a woman, who turns out to be their frienemy _**Tess Mercer**_. Barbara's murders imprisoned, Lex is also finally put behind bars, so she decides it is time to return and claim her life in Metropolis. Clark takes her to their apartment, and right when everything is revealed to a very stressed Lois, Bruce appears, her cousin doubles over in pain and they discover the only reason that can make possible for Lois' body to be affected by kryptonite. She's going to be an aunt. Or a cousin. Or whatever. Now she only has to make Lois not want to kill her for having disappeared all these years.

_**OO**_

_**Barbara –Babs– Gordon**_, _**Oracle**_. Unknown to Smallville world, but undoubtedly (IMHO) the mirror in which SV writers looked when they decided to make Chloe kick-ass-Watchtower. She rocks. Daughter of Commissioner Gordon and the first Batgirl ever until The Joker shot her, leaving her paraplegic and tied to a wheelchair for life. She found her way to make a difference again: she became Oracle and founded a group of women who would go throughout the world in all kinds of missions. It all started when she recruited Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary, who would eventually become her best friend. Her love life is also full. She's happily engaged to sweet, cute Dick Grayson, aka original Robin, aka Nightwing, and recently discovered she was pregnant, so she's going to start taking things easy until her friend Chloe Sullivan takes over during her maternity leave. She's working on surveillance on Lex Luthor as a personal request from Superman, and during a mission where she leads a few members of the League (_**Link**_) she discovers something very, very big. Before compromising anything she secures all the information, but a minute too late. Fatality occurs and Babs is murdered, leaving her friends and family desolate and with a very well encrypted set of highly valuable information, now left for Chloe to decipher. During _**Inside**_, the information is finally decrypted, and her murderers back in jail.

_**OO**_

_**Dick Grayson, Nightwing.**_ Completely and utterly in love with Babs, he's the happiest guy on the planet (Clark is the happiest guy on the universe). Her death leaves him crushed, inconsolable, desolate and without a reason to live, but unwilling to commit suicide. He opts to carry on through a path of vengeance and violence against which Bruce advises him. Only with the help of Dinah he will start, timidly, to move on amongst the pain (_**Knall**_). During _**Inside **_he will, helped by _**Donna/Troia**_, take into custody the computer whiz who disabled Babs' security system the night of her death.

_**OO**_

_**Bruce Wayne, Batman**_. I know there are many reasons for not having Batman in Smallville (I think same as Wonder Woman), but he's too good to avoid here. Batman is a nice counterpart of Clark, he's not called the Dark Knight without reason, but there is something nobody can deny him, and that is his sense of Justice. He will always do the right thing, as painful as it sometimes can be. For those not reading comics, I think he resembles a lot the Nolan-verse version of the hero, especially the second film. So, deeply hurt by the death of Barbara, for him, for Dick and for Babs' father, he is determined to find her murderers, for what he tells Ollie he will step out of the League so he can use all of that time for that and leave the group's resources available for other matters until he comes up with the identities of Barbara's killers. Ollie will assign Chloe to work with him, because of the Luthor involvement, knowing that wherever Lex is, things get very messy. Bruce cannot avoid the feeling that Clark, who had asked Barbara to investigate him, is partly responsible for her death, and if this is proven, he'll take any necessary measure to have Justice served. All the events leading to the end of _**Inside**_ settle things between him and Clark, and he is the first to realize, albeit his fault, that Lois is pregnant.

_**OO**_

_**Lex Luthor**_, Superman's nemesis. Obviously did not die in that explosion (Smallville 8x14...ugh) and made a return sometime in the future (Parachutes' past), taking back his company but not the Daily Planet, that Tess Mercer had sold to Ollie, who's the actual sole owner. He's decided to take over the White House through the political via and is doing quite good in the Presidentials so far, including a marvelous first rally in which he had the pleasure of verbally beating Lois Lane herself, although later he is unexpectedly punched back by a random civilian also attending the event (_**Link**_). Thanks to his seemingly flawless surveillance system, he detects the so-called Oracle and prepares a trap, both for her and the League, who are close to finding out about his secret experiments. On a brilliant strike, he misleads the League and murders Barbara Gordon, who he believes is Oracle. Continuing his plans, that include playing the panic card once he's leading the States through biological threats, he has a set back when unexpectedly a covert triple mission of the League discovers three of his labs, one of them keeping the kryptonian boy known to the world as _**Chris Kent**_. _**Inside**_ reveals he also has taken _**Tess Mercer**_, and finally sees him behind bars. But not before he manages to have Clark exposed to the new designed artificial Kryptonite he has developed, as well as some kind of surveillance that leads to the reveal, at the very end of the story, that he knows about Lois' pregnancy.

_**OO**_

_**Helena Bertinelli, Huntress, **_second member recruited by Babs for Birds of Prey. With violent tendencies, after Babs' murder she decides to step out, aware that if she doesn't, sooner than later there will be a blood bath. She gets some help from Dinah, and by the end of _**Knall**_, just like Dick, she seems to be doing much better, and is finally back in track. She keeps her promise, during _**Inside**_, to step aside _**Dinah**_'s fight against _**Shiva**_.

_**OO**_

Along the stories, _**other characters**_, familiar to Smallville or just from DCU have appeared, mainly as supporting roles in missions or light chats. Some of them (a few reappearing in _**Inside**_): _**Martha Kent**_ (retired from the politics, currently living in Smallville), _**Perry White **_(chief editor of the Daily Planet. He follows comic canon, but I'm sure that when Smallville brings him back, he will be very much alike); _**Lana Lang **_(currently living in New York and leading her own life, provides Lois with all the information she has on Luthor, helping Lois in her investigation –_**Knall**_–);_** Donna Troy aka Troia**_ (comic canon, sister of Diana Prince, living in NY, works with the League and the Titans, a subsidiary of the JLA*; very good friends with Dick); _**Bart Allen**_ (follows Smallville canon, so in 2020 he's older than in the comics; appeared in _**Link**_); _**Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman**_ (very much indeed, comic canon. She calls Clark Kal (which pisses Lois off a lot), and has a very deep respect for Miss Lane; she's a very serious but sweet woman, fierce warrior when needed; sister of Donna Troy, good friend of Dinah; member of the League); _**Commissioner James –Jim– Gordon**_ (Barbara's father, head of Gotham City's police department. Despite the pain, he has, like Batman, a very deep sense of justice, and he's the one telling his caped friend that he must control the increasingly violent Nightwing. Batman has an enormous respect and affection for him); _**Zinda **_(the third mobile member of Birds of Prey, pilot, made a few appearances already), _**James –Jimmy– Bartholomew Olsen **_(younger brother to Smallville's Henry James –Jimmy– Olsen, tragically dead in Smallville 8x22. Following Perry's request on finding a new photographer, Lois goes through several resumes her boss has given her, mainly because the new recruit will mainly work for her and is almost out of breath when among the solicitants she finds a smiling freckled face reading James Olsen (_**Knall**_). He's had no further role so far). _**Tess Mercer**_ (she has not appeared personally, but has been mentioned quite a few times. A merge herself of comic/movie characters, Tess is from Smallville and Smallville only, so full SVcanon there. According to _**Link**_, she disappeared from the face of the Earth once Lex returned, probably demoted to seek tropical plants in some island); _**Isabel Parker**_ (random invented civilian confronting Lex in his rally during _**Link**_, and pissing Mr. Luthor off a lot).

_**OO**_

***JLA: **is what could become in this universe. Being Ollie the head and founder, and being Ollie someone used to manage a big corporation such as Queen Industries, the League is a very well oiled engine, with hierarchies, meetings and protocols, contracts and subsidiary groups in areas where permanent bases are needed, such as the Titans, who also have their fair amount of independency. Members have total liberty to lead their lives and choose their own missions, but unless they have good motives, they will always be available for the League. No one has complained so far and the system works almost perfectly.

_**OO**_

And I think this is pretty much it. Thanks and enjoy the story.


	2. Chapter 1: Before we could dream

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes****: **Going back to the past (right after "_Inside_") to fill in some blanks. _**Parachutes**_ starts in December, while _**Inside**_ ended in August. Also, wow and thanks so much for the reviews! I hope the rest of the story doesn't disappoint you and you stick around :)

_**Chapter 1 "**__**Before we could dream" **_

_**Metropolis. Daily Planet. 30**__**th**__** August, 2020**_

"No, dammit, change the font size, then!... Denon, make some damn space for that ad or I'll make space on your soon to be former desk!...I DON'T MIND YOU DON'T HAVE ONE!"

Clark finished the article as he heard Perry's voice increasing a notch or five.

And he could not help but smile.

"I do not care there is none, Denon, MAKE IT HAPPEN!" The phone almost met its end when Perry hung it, loudly enough to make Clark raise his head and casually find Jimmy Olsen standing by Perry's office door holding a plastic glass and a scared face, looking back at him with a huge 'help!' neon sign over his head.

"Maybe I should risk it and brew a calming infusion instead, Mr. Kent?"

Smiling, Clark rose from his chair and approached the newest recruit of the paper, taking the glass for him. "Call me Clark, Jam-…" It was still painful, after all this time, but the kid wanted to honor his brother, so he stopped before saying the name and using the one he had requested. "Jimmy. I'll get the coffee to Mr. White."

"Gee, thanks, Mr. K!"

As the young man happily walked through the bullpen, Clark looked down at the drink and then back at Perry. Considering for a second, he super-sped and changed it for a hot infusion, entering Perry's office right afterwards. "Busy day," he commented as he placed the glass on his desk.

Perry didn't even look up, immersed in his job. "Great Caesar's ghost, Kent, you'd say these people have never been in a crisis in all their lives, where do they live, in Numbville?"

"Here's the article, Perry," said Clark handing him the printed papers. "Just lacks Lois' quotes."

The moment Lois had sent him the whole story involving Lex, the secret facilities, and Barbara's Gordon murder, Perry White had turned the bullpen upside down, having everyone on City and National working on it. Lex Luthor behind bars and charged for murder and a couple of other things was more than big news.

"Let me tell you one thing, kid. I hope Lois kicks the quotes out of him, literally, Lois Lane style. This piece is going to shut more than one mouth. Let's see who dares to imply now that my best reporter was wrong about this 'national treasure' of ours. Good thing she volunteered."

"Yeah. Good thing." Clark left the office, not really listening to Perry's renewed anger while he closed the door as the Editor in chief took his coffee glass.

"Goddamned reporter, is my wife blackmailing you too? I asked for a coffee, Kent, not a god-be-damned glass of hot water! Where's that Olsen kid when you need him? Is he the only one with a pair of functional ears in this place? OLSEN!"

Clark wouldn't have minded for the verbal riot to muffle his thoughts. At all. His concern on Lois deciding to go to the prison herself hadn't left him. It hadn't been a choice Clark was very fond of, but heaven forbid him from saying a single word about it. He could consider himself lucky that she had agreed to let Dinah and Ollie go in with her. Lucky and a little alerted at Lois' sudden decision to allow protection. They had just stepped into uncharted territory; neither had expected to have it happen so soon, so despite the joy, he had fallen into an over cautious state of mind. From him it was expected, but he had honestly not seen it coming from her. That was the thing with Lois, she would never cease to amaze him. He would be the rest of their life together uncovering new and new layers, never really stop getting to know her.

Lois had been the one of the two who had been openly sure the embryo, were it to even be a remote possibility, would not hold onto her womb at the first try. She had accepted they had a long and bumpy road ahead before they could have real hope or know they had to drop the towel because it was impossible for them to conceive. But there they were. She was pregnant. And Emil had told them the zygote had settled correctly, chances of a succesful pregnancy already high. That the risks were there, of course, because no one knew what could happen. But that this pregnancy could very well go to term was already a fact.

Clark calmed himself. Lois was just being cautious, and that was a good thing. Nothing could happen in that prison.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

"I hear congratulations are in order."

_Sonovabitch._

Lex's words still echoed in her mind while she entered their apartment. He knew. Lex knew she was pregnant. How? How the hell had he found out? "I'm going to kill him." She barely noticed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"Lois, sweetie, you should-"

"I don't want to calm down, Dinah! Don't tell me to calm down!"

"Ok. I won't."

"Mom?"

The trio turned to see Chris wearing a concerned face and holding something in his hand. "Are you alright?"

"Lex," said Ollie. "He-"

"He knows, Chris," she said. "The bastard knows about the baby. And he spit out his mockery like what? A threat?" Her mind was swirling with all the possibilities, and there seemed to be no way of stopping it.

"Lois…"

"Don't you Lois me, Ollie."

"I am not, honey, I want to shove an arrow up a certain hole as much as you wanted to stick your pen on that very same spot, believe me. Just-" A certain glare stopped him. Lois mouthed 'language' while looking back at Chris, already showing signs of confusion at the notion of objects and holes and—yes, that was a perfect moment to shut it.

Deciding to ignore the awkwardness, Dinah opted to calm the nerves. "Do you want a glass of water?"

"I want to kill him."

"Perhaps a tea."

Chris' concern was still in his mind, but he was confused, everything had gone really fast since Mom and Oliver and Dinah arrived. All their focus had been on calming Mom down, and with the new baby and all, Chris found himself at cross-roads. He had to tell her the news, but at the same time he knew they would upset her, and he really, REALLY didn't want to do that. Sometimes he wished he was a baby boy so he wouldn't have to think like a grown up. Darnit. "Mom, I-"

"Lois, cool it down, maybe you're overreacting, you-" Second Lois' glare in a minute. _Good job, Queen._

"Overreacting?"

"Maybe a scotch on the rocks."

"Mom, I found-"

"Honestly, Ollie? Overreacting?"

Ollie didn't dare to add a single word.

"Twelve years, Oliver. Twelve years believing Chloe dead only to find out she was out there protecting me without asking my opinion about it. And not only that, no. NO. It turns out every-freaking-body knew! And just when I'm recovering from the shock comes Batman wearing a ring with kryptonite making my guts twist and turn in backflips, making us realize I am pregnant and affected by kryptonite just like Clark and Chris and Kara. For how long?"

"It'll probably pass after the pregnancy," offered a still unconvinced Ollie.

"And do we know exactly how long this pregnancy is going to be?"

Silence filled the room for a few seconds. Lois blinked. Ollie blinked. Dinah blinked. Chris didn't know what to do with himself.

"Figures." Before any could speak, she continued. "And then, out of the blue, Clark's worst enemy, his nemesis, his biggest threat, who knows his secret, apparently also knows mine, which means he's been lurking close."

"He's been lurking here," Chris finally said, making the other three turn to him as he walked towards Lois and gave her the tiny device he had been holding since before their arrival. "Found it under your table." Lois took the minuscule surveillance, sighed and tossed it to Ollie.

"Spying whatsits in our house. Really, Ollie. Is it even possible to overreact?" Lois fell Chris' hand holding hers tighter. She automatically squeezed back.

Ollie looked at Lois, released a sigh and walked towards them. Dinah took the choice of letting them have a moment and decided to remain on a secondary plane. "I'll call Clark." She left the room.

"Lois, honey, look at me." Ollie took her stoned chin and flinched at the tension he had not seen until he got that close. "We will take care of this. All of us," he said sharing a look with Chris. "We'll find out how he knew of this, and we'll make sure he stays behind those bars for real." Still no reaction from her. "Hey," he insisted. Lois finally looked at him. "I promise you'll have front row seats."

Front row seats? _The hell I will. _"No." Ollie and Chris blinked. "I don't sit and look, Queen."

Ollie pursed his lips. "Ok," he finally said. "But you promise me one thing."

She didn't cut him any slack. "Depends on the thing."

He sighed. "Lois, the promise thing doesn't work that way."

"Your point being?"

_Relentless Lane. _"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Come on, Queen, I don't have all day."

Ollie's voice asked with gentle but firm tone. "Promise me you'll worry about the most important things first?"

She had to shut up at that one. A warmth on her belly in shape of a hand reminded Lois of the first one.

A look at the young adult standing beside her with pleading eyes, of the second.

And a name of a third. "And Chloe too."

Damn him, he did know her too well. Lois closed her eyes as the stress of the last moments settled in, and leaned on Ollie, who hugged her back. After a few seconds, he kissed the top of her head and whispered an address. "Ament, 1407."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Ament, 1407.**_

It all had been a blur.

Chloe was not sure how she felt. And worse, had no idea of whatever had gone through Lois' head when she saw her at the apartment. Chloe thought she saw her cousin, the Lois who would let her defenses down for good and bad moments only for a handful of people, one of them her, after Bruce had hinted her condition. Lois had caught her smiling at that. But then she and Clark had gone, there hadn't been time for anything, and Lois hadn't called her back. Neither Clark had said a thing except she would probably need time and, truth be told, she didn't want to press the issue. The perfect excuse? The baby. Lois pregnant with a half kryptonian child took precedence over everything else. The truth? She was scared out of her wits, rejection a perfect possibility in her mind.

Yes, the page had been finally turned, and she was officially back. More than a decade of her life had just been shut like the book you put back on a shelf after reading it never to be opened again, but she was frightened of the possibilities. All of a sudden, her reasons for leaving, however valid, seemed stupid. The dreaded 'was it really necessary?' had smacked her on the face as the most pertinent query ever. And it was now drilling her conscience with shameless insistence.

Suddenly all her fatigue plummeted on her shoulders, and the stump began to hurt. Tiredly, she went to the wheelchair and let herself fall on it as she took off the prosthesis. The void left by the artificial leg looked back at her. "It seemed very simple before," she said staring at the empty sot. "It really did."

The doorbell rang. Chloe sighed, but decided she wasn't in any social mood, neither didn't want to brood over it with anyone besides her silent pillow. Unfortunately, whoever was behind that door didn't agree with her intentions, and rang back, with more insistence this time, letting Chloe know he or she wasn't going to move until she opened the door. "Seems you don't get your time alone, Sullivan, so suck it up and fake your nonchalant self." Pushing the chair, she approached the door. "Coming, just a sec." Tiredly, she opened it.

To find Lois Lane standing behind a big box, clumsily realizing Chloe was no longer on her vision range.

Last time they had crossed words had been on a hospital, too long ago. Lois overjoyed to see her. Chloe, her heart wrenched by fate's hand, about to fake her death.

_**OOOOO**_

**Notes**: "_It was still painful, after all this time, but the kid wanted to honor his brother, so he stopped before saying the name and using the one he had requested. "Jimmy" _This fact was mentioned in _Inside_ when he started to work with them.

**Music: **_**PJ Harvey**__'s "Dear Darkness"_ was the background song for Chloe's scene at the end of this chapter.


	3. Chapter 2: Face it, obliterate it

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes****: **I felt Lois and Chloe's reunion deserved a solo chapter. Directly back to action and the present (December 2020) in Chapter 3.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Chapter 2**__** "Face it. Obliterate it." **_

_**30**__**th**__** August, 2020. Metropolis. Ament street.**_

Katherine Tracy lived in Ament street, Metropolis. She was a 76 year-old lady blessed with an active mind and a capable body enabling her to live on her own. She woke up with the sun and faced every day with a positive attitude. She loved walking. Every Wednesday she religiously went to a hotel nearby where she played bridge with her friends and shared past memories. Then, she would go back home, spend some quiet moments alone and, relaxed and happy, go to sleep. Miss Tracy did not consider herself, nor she was, a nosy person.

Hers was a very quiet building, so that 30th of August, when she heard a door open and then a loud thud on the floor on the apartment in front of hers, she looked, worried that Miss Sullivan had hurt herself. Chloe Sullivan, her new neighbor, a lovely young woman, poor dear having lost a leg in a car accident.

The noise seemed to have come from a box that now lay on the floor, a box that had been carried by the woman standing in front of her, and from Chloe's face, a rare mixture of surprise, insecurity and recognition, the visitor seemed to be someone who she knew of old.

If there was something Mrs. Tracy had learnt over her long life, that was to read people. And the young woman was feeling a whole array of emotions. None of them was fear.

Katharine Tracy did not consider herself a nosy woman. Honoring that virtue, she left the door and smiling, returned to her quiet life.

_**OOO**_

The box slipped through Lois' fingers and landed with a thud.

None of them cared.

Lois looked as lost as she felt, probably like the blonde sitting on a wheelchair in front of her, still holding the door as if paralyzed. "I…" She tried to say something, but the words stuck. Not even her eyes knew what to do, traveling from Chloe's eyes to the chair, then her shaking hands, then her eyes again. The pit of her stomach had knots that were made of knots that had knots themselves. And not a damn word to say.

Chloe's hand was still firmly wrapped around the doorknob, looking like groping for a way to stop shaking and failing epically at it. Where were all the mind recesses that awoke the primeval instincts and that would surely help her react? Lois wondered, because she was getting a big nothing, and that was not like her.

All she could do was fasten her eyes on Chloe's and beg for something to happen soon.

It did. Chloe changed places with her lack of initiative and launched a whispered plea. "Please, say something."

It helped bringing her back. "I…I just-" But still the damn words would not come out. Lois mentally cursed herself.

And she must have looked pathetically helpless, because Chloe, in all her one-legged shaking self, rose from the chair using the doorknob to steady herself, or at least try, because the door's hinges decided to abide to physics laws and move the door as Chloe unconsciously pushed it, making her lose balance and stumbling forth, almost meeting the floor in the process. Almost. Before she could realize, Lois found herself holding and supporting Chloe, who was looking back at her with surprised big round green eyes and an unreadable face with too many emotions to discern one. And the words finally came. "Hey. Don't scare me like that."

And the dam of emotions broke.

_**OOO**_

Chloe let the world blur away and closed her eyes to lose herself in the body holding her protectively, the younger cousin taking over the stoic persona after so many years in hiding. Chloe took the leap and jumped, preparing herself for the wreckage she could very well find bursting on her face when she faced Lois. Reluctantly abandoning that little warm spot, and with a tinge of fear, she attempted to look.

Meeting a pair of hazel and slightly red eyes staring back at her. Damned her if she was going to let them crash. Not without trying. Chloe hugged Lois as hard as she could and let it all out. "I am so sorry, so, so sorry." If she had really smothered them she deserved any blow Lois found fit to give her with all her might.

She got a hug instead.

_**OOO**_

Lois returned the embrace and felt Chloe releasing a long sigh of relief as she kissed her on the top of her head. The simple affectionate gesture came as natural as it had always been, and the words were no longer lumps in her throat, but a soothing sound whispered to… _God, to Chloe. Alive. Here. With me._ "It's ok, sweetie. It's ok." More than a decade ceased to weigh on her heart, as if it had never existed. The feeling was weird, but welcomed with open arms. Her lips curved upwards. She was real, she was there and she wouldn't let her go away again. They remained like that for a long moment, silently rocking, Lois making sure Chloe wouldn't fall.

There was a lot of talking and dealing ahead, but first she wanted to let herself feel and know that Chloe was there.

She hugged her a little tighter.

"Lo?"

Perhaps it wouldn't be her the one to decide when to start talking after all.

_**OOO**_

Chloe didn't move her head from where it was resting, and a small smile appeared despite the outcome of what she was about to say. "Now that I know you don't want to kill me… I wouldn't mind my feisty cousin back." The smack on the back of her neck came instantly. "Ouch." Yes, she could still read Lois like an open book. Meeting her gaze, she saw her cousin's raised eyebrows and couldn't help her own bemused face. Carefully peeling the sentimental layer away, Chloe had stopped groping for that side of her cousin, directly going for the real thing, the whole package. And there she was, in all her Lois glory, staring at her and ready to make things normal between them.

_**OOO**_

Indeed, it had been Chloe.

"You asked for it. Now get back to that chair, you're heavy." Lois helped her back on the wheelchair and went to grab the box, leaving it by the entrance before closing the door and walking inside. "I hope they didn't break," she muttered to herself.

"I… I was going to make a tea, umm… it is … would you like some? I mean, you can, right? It's not like you-"

"Please don't tell me you're gonna start too, Chloe." She saw her cousin smiling. That sweet curling of the lips that reached her eyes which Lois had missed so much.

"I'll try…"

"...but you don't promise anything," said Lois rolling her eyes eliciting a chuckle from Chloe. "Yeah, yeah, it's the League's theme this summer, it seems."

"Make it the next nine month's theme," said Chloe as she steered the chair to the kitchen.

Lois followed her as she inspected her surroundings with casual curiosity. "Nice house," she commented. It still felt weird to be talking to her like that, but the conversation had to go somewhere.

_**OOO**_

Chloe hesitated. She didn't really want to get in the 'hows' and 'whens' with Lois right now. They would talk, definitely. But…Oh well. "Ollie found it." Maybe it was the perfect time to get it all out, for both of them.

_**OOO**_

Lois observed her moving around the kitchen without problem. "You manage well," she observed.

Chloe's answer was perfectly neutral. "Years of practice, I guess. You get used to it; and I can still walk, so I consider myself a lucky one."

"With a stupidly stoic-" The words fell from her mouth before she realized she had said them.

The tea pot whistled.

_**OOO**_

"I will not regret my decision." She said it gently, but without a trace of doubt in her tone. They shared a look, and her voice softened a little more. "I can't."

Chloe left the tea pot on the table, ideas of a hot drink forgotten. From the corner of the eye she could see Lois sitting down, and she turned the chair to look at her.

"It could've been avoided."

It was not a reproach, Chloe knew. Still, it hurt. "Jimmy died, Lois. Because of me. And you were missing. If you had been gone too…"

_**OOO**_

Chloe knew she was angry, but Lois felt she didn't quite understand why. "Chloe, it's not that you left us behind." A pair of hiked up blond eyebrows looked at her. "At least not entirely," she corrected. "It's the fact that you severed ties and unilaterally decided to go away on your own. Alone, without your family and friends. We would've helped you."

"I know you would have, Lois. And probably die in the process," insisted Chloe stubbornly. "One death was enough burden on my shoulders, I couldn't carry another one." She sighed tiredly. "I do not expect you to understand, Lo, but what's done it's done, and if I were given the option again, I'd still do what I thought was the best way to protect the ones I love." She stood against Lois' look, resolved to make her point. "Lois, I racked my brains, literally, before making that decision. Don't question it." _Please._

Lois' eyes met the floor, and her voice came out almost shy. "And the dead scene, was it really necessary?" She was angry at Chloe for that, she realized, with a bit of shame, because deep inside, however wrong she thought it was, it had been a selfless act. One she knew she didn't have the guts to make. She would've told herself there had to be another way, even if it took her time. Even if in the process she didn't find it. Chloe had just told her the idea didn't come out of the blue. Well, it's Chloe, of course she thought about it. But it sucked, because that choice had hurt them both. Chloe had probably spent countless sleepless nights thinking on that day and how much she had hurt Lois, and how it had hurt her to do that. Damn life.

"Would you have believed it if you didn't see for yourself?"

Silence. "No."

"Would you have stuck your butt in Metropolis without looking for me if I had told you I was leaving and why I was leaving?"

_Truth? _"I would've bound you to your hospital bed until I talked it out of you. And then I would've kicked Ollie's ass for listening to you." _Definitely. Using handcuffs._

Chloe gave her a sad smile. "Sometimes I wish I had told you. I knew you'd do that."

Lois' tone gentled. "I hate to think you've been alone all this time, Chlo. It sucks."

"It's over now," she reassured. "And I would really like to start looking forward." Smiling, Chloe extended her arm and put her hand on Lois' belly, grinning when Lois' hand covered it. "Because the future's looking pretty sweet right now."

"Yeah, look at that." She chuckled. "This is something you don't see every day, isn't it?"

"Lois Lane and a baby in the same sentence and body? You bet."

Lois' eyes traveled to her belly again. The notion of it still amazed her. She smiled. "Well, it looks like it will happen. And I still can't believe it."

"Believe it, Lo." She gently pressed her hand on Lois' belly. "It is happening."

Silently, Lois agreed. "Two weeks. And for all he could see, it will probably be a normal pregnancy. You know, whatever unknown, we'll see when it happens."

"Scared?"

"A little." _Yeah, sure._ "A lot." She chuckled nervously, and found once again Chloe's hand as a source of calm. "But excited too. And happy. Not very about the hormonal changes, that one's going to be a bitch. But overall…" She fished for a word.

Chloe provided the perfect one. "Whoa."

"Yeah, that's right. We're stuck in 'whoa'. Still hard to believe."

"I'm glad to be around for this one."

"I'm glad you are." Then she turned a little more serious. "And I hope you don't vanish on thin air now."

"'Now?'?," she asked correctly interpreting Lois. "I'm not sure I liked the sound of that implication."

"You won't. Lex had surveillance in our house."

"What?"

"He knows about the pregnancy."

"Bu- wh-… How?"

"It's Lex, Chloe. But he is in jail now, so don't go bananas about this, ok? Please?" _Look who's talking, Lane. _

"Does Clark know?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"And Chris?"

_Oh boy._ "That kid has proclaimed himself my guardian and protector. If Clark told me he was his biological son I wouldn't be a bit surprised."

Chloe smiled. "He's really cute."

"That he is. Um… did they tell you about his back-story?"

"Yes."

"And you're ok with it?"

"There is no way I can't be ok with it." Chloe made sure there was no trace of hesitation in that statement, and cemented the assertion with one of her Sullivan smiles. "I look forward to getting to know him."

Lois breathed. It felt so good to feel this way again. Like her family was back together. There were some more conversations ahead, for sure, but this moment was as perfect as it could get. Shoving Lex aside in her mind, he resolved to stay in that comfortable place. "By the way, did you finally get your vinyl player?"

"You remember that?"

"So, you got it?"

"No. I guess a part of me still felt I was not at home."

"Maybe it's about time you get it. It's going to suck not having one."

Chloe arched an eyebrow in question, followed by Lois' teasing. "Come, let's see if I didn't break them when I dropped the box."

_**OOO**_

Later, much later, Lois got home. She left the shoes on the entrance, and went to the bathroom. On her way, she saw Chris sleeping on the coach and opted not to wake him up with a goodnight kiss. He was a light sleeper and she really didn't want him to wake up.

Later, ready for bed, she found Clark waiting for her, awake and smiling.

"Hey."

He always did that, Lois reflected. He had probably heard her coming before she even entered the building, but somehow knew when she liked a little time alone, gathering her thoughts of the day while she undressed and prepared to go to bed. Maybe it was her heartbeat pattern, she mused. Clark seemed to have a PhD on her heart rate. He simply waited, gave her time and then shifted enough to provide her with a cozy warm spot on their bed, normally ending up enveloped in his arms.

Lois leaned on the frame thinking of that. "You waited."

Clark propped himself on one elbow. "In between waiting here and getting there myself, I thought this was the safest one."

"My thoughtful farm boy," said Lois.

"I take it this smile means it went well."

"Let's get to bed and I'll tell you how well it went."

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **_**Better than Ezra **__"Breathless" _(Chloe and Lois together)_; **Lamb** "What sound" _(Lois/Clark)_. _As soon as I complete planning the soundtrack I'll let you know.

Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites!


	4. Chapter 3: As blast, news come

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **sex**. **Heh.

**Notes:**back to the present (December, 2020).

_**Chapter 3**__** "As blast, news come" **_

_**Star City. 15**__**th**__** December, 2020**_

Ollie had been thinking about it for some time now. Over the years the whole League had become his extended family, and he took his responsibility over them seriously, but Clark and Lois, and Chloe, they had been there from the very beginning, with and for him. They were his family.

Lois would be pissed at his suggestion, he concluded with a snort. Clark, most probably thankful but not letting it out so he didn't upset her. Chloe would chuckle knowing he was going to do it despite her cousin. Dinah? She was the only one he really needed to agree with him, and she would most surely do.

Stretching his arms, Ollie let a lazy smile form into a grin when he heard the last object of his thoughts arrive home.

_**OOO**_

_Home_. Home sounded awesome right now. A hot relaxing bath and then, if she was lucky, breakfast in bed with Ollie.

She looked through the big windowpane; Star City would wake up soon. She smiled as she suddenly noticed a presence approaching. A certain someone had beat the city and was already up. A few steps more, and a warm embrace from behind was followed by a very appealing offering.

"I made you some tea."

Dinah took the cup and let the warm moist enter her nostrils. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I had Chloe text me when you guys were done." He kissed the back of her neck. "Wanted to greet my wife with a homemade tea."

Dinah closed her eyes at the touch as she drunk. "Mmm. You won't happen to have a bath ready too, will 'ya?" The nibbling and kissing stopped and Dinah felt her arm raising and her husband sniffing around. "Ollie!"

"You don't smell that bad, tiger," he said as he dodged her playful slap. "C'mon," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her closer for a hug. "I do have a warm bed waiting for you."

She left the cup on a table. "Does it come with company?"

"I think that can be arranged," he said smiling. They both walked to their bedroom, Ollie with his arm around Dinah's waist. "The mission went well?"

"Piece of cake. Only a couple of minor bruises."

"Minor?," said Ollie a little unconvinced. "That's news."

"Mmm."

"Let me check. You never know these days," said Ollie as he started taking Dinah's clothes off. He paused for a smirk when he saw her raising one eyebrow. "Gotta take care of you, birdie."

"You know," she said all fatigue suddenly gone, "there are other ways for that…" Dinah pulled down his trousers and soon both were naked and kissing.

"I'm glad we communicate this good," managed to agree Ollie.

"Yeah, communicating is essential for couples."

Between words and kisses they both ended on their bed exploring each other's bodies with expert fingers on familiar territory, certain very sensitive spots targeted by both.

Somehow, one of those corners of Ollie's brain lacking logic, decided it was a great time to raise the subject of Lois and her pregnancy and them moving. "You know," he said. "I've been thinking…"

"About?," she asked while keeping the kissing on his neck.

"Moving to Metropolis for a while," came the innocent reply. "You know-" A chuckle interrupted him.

"I do know," she said as she played with the hair below, smiling victorious when Ollie's body reacted to the less than innocent touch. "You'll probably get off Lois' nerves too. She _will_ be unhappy about this. You're aware, right?"

"Oh, yes. That'll be a challenge." Ollie nodded as he guided Dinah's hand to his penis and she started stroking the already aroused member.

"But I also know Clark will be thankful, and Lois will appreciate the gesture, even if she doesn't know it yet."

Agreeing with a silent nod, Ollie let his hand travel down her back by gentle touch conveying Dinah's legs apart as he began an exploration of his own. "My wife the optimist. I love that about you, you know."

"Well, I wouldn't mind to have that kind of care if it were us."

"Oh yes. Lois would make a kick-ass bodyguard."

"I was thinking about Clark."

"Clark?," he paused faking serious pondering. "Yeah, he would be ok too." Before Dinah could emit a word he silenced her with a kiss, closing his eyes as he deepened it. "So." Ollie guided his penis with his hand and gently slid inside, making eye contact with her as he entered. "What do you think?" Then he placed that hand on her back, pulling her closer.

"I think it's- ouch."

The wince made Ollie stop. "What was that?"

Two big innocent blue eyes stared back at him. "Nothing."

Ollie then touched more carefully Dinah's back, right where he had pressed the moment she complained, and found an area with tender skin. "Turn."

"Ollie…"

Using his other hand and already on his knees, he turned Dinah onto her side, discovering a huge bruise starting to form on her lumbar region. And swelling. "Piece of cake mission, uh?"

"I didn't even notice it when it happened. It's your fault that it hurts now," she added, not really convincing Ollie's fingers, assessing the sore area.

His voice turned serious. "Dinah, you got hit on the kidneys. They knew what they were doing."

"So did I. You should see the other guys."

"Chloe didn't say anything."

"Chloe doesn't get into other people's lives like we're going to do with Clark and Lois, hon. And she trusts my judgment."

"Something I'm gonna have to have to talk to her about."

"Ollie, I got kicked, big deal. It happens all the time, it _is_ part of the job, so lay it off, will you?"

Ollie blinked, silent for a few seconds while locking eyes with Dinah. "Ok," he finally said. "But you're not getting any sex until you're healed."

"I can't believe this," she protested rolling her eyes as she felt Ollie's weigh leave her. Just as he was lying down carefully by her side, his cell beeped.

He sighed. "That's the JLA, gotta take it."

"And there goes the rest of the morning," she mumbled as Ollie sat up and grabbed the device.

He shifted to look at her before checking the screen. "I'll let you know who you have to-" His face changed slightly into a frown when he saw the caller.

"Who is it?"

"It's Dick."

That was new, not very Dick to call or write Ollie. "He was on Watchtower duties," said Dinah. Ollie nodded, and looked back at the screen with an intrigued expression. "So? What does he want?" _Not a mission, please_.

"He wants us to turn on the news."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Ament street, 1407**_

Chris entered home through the window as silently as he could. Walking slowly, he peeked into Chloe's room and frowned when he didn't see her in bed. Sighing tiredly, he hovered to the living room and into one of the most favorite things above all the new stuff he had discovered and learnt during those past four months on Earth. He picked carefully among the collection and grabbed one of his favorites. He pulled out the paper sleeve and took the round object with his palms and on the edges. Just like Chloe had taught him. He put the needle down and let his ears listen to the sound of it making soft contact with the vinyl before the music began. Flying backwards, he sat on the floor and closed his eyes, trying to relax with it.

He didn't.

His mind started turning again with the unpleasant thoughts that plagued his dreams and turned them into nightmares, like the one that had woken up tonight. Chris scolded; he was tired and really wanted to sleep, it was not as if he was asking to dream. Only sleep. To close his eyes and drift away. But no. He was wide awake in the middle of the night and now worrying about aunt Chloe not being home, and while he was at it, concerned about that woman in the lab, who now had a face, a name and a story behind her. He never stopped worrying about Mom and her health, now she was pregnant, so that one was a given, not an added bonus.

He was worried because all those things that he so wanted to be right, or righted, they turned into nightmares when he closed his eyes. Aunt Chloe in some kind of trouble, this woman, Tess, suffering in the lab, and the worst of all, Mom having problems with the baby, stuff he didn't want to remember. That last one had been the nightmare keeping him awake this night, terrified to close his eyes again. Sheepishly he had walked to Chloe's room, forgetting she had some mission going on. No way would he bother Mom. At that moment, some hours before, he had decided, no, reminded himself, that he was a grown up kid, so he should start behaving like one.

So there.

Resolve anew, Chris had willed his mind to stop thinking nonsense and decided he would simply wait for Chloe to make sure she was ok, because he was a Lane-Kent, and the son of Superman too, and that was what his Dad did. He cared for everyone. And sometimes made the women of his life mad with solicitous attention. Chris had found out through experimental practice that he seemed to have some kind of upper hand with Lois. Something about him being a damn weak spot, he had heard Mom saying. Chloe mostly rolled her eyes but not suppressing a slight smile when Dad cared in the Kent way, so Chris had focused on studying if Chloe's reaction to him was the same so he could take care of her if she needed it.

Aunt Chloe. Chris smiled. She was pretty cool to talk to. And if she finally didn't get home and stayed at the Watchtower, like she sometimes did, he could always go to see Dad and Mom at a decent hour. Mom was kinda funny in the mornings, half asleep and all. Well, not so funny when she woke up throwing up the first months of the pregnancy, he mused wincing in reflex, but the hormone thing she talked about that annoyed her so much was something he found…it felt weird to use that word together with Mom, but truth was she was…cute.

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of the transporter. Chris woke up and flew over the hidden door to see a very tired Chloe stepping inside home, greeting her with the best smile he could muster.

_**OOO**_

Missions gone well let all the stress out, and after assessing everyone was all right and sweeping the system for security breaches, Chloe had finally got back home. Her mind was already in a warm, comfortable bed, she just needed her body to get there. She didn't expect a one-person committee waiting for her. The cutest ever.

There he was, in all his adorableness, standing in front of her wearing a smile. She waved a hand and even made an attempt to smile while trying not to finally close those very, very heavy eyelids. The bed would have to wait. "Hey, Chris." She only had time to look at him and see him lift his eyebrows before he disappeared at the same annoying super speed as Clark. Whooshing and air current included. Sighing tiredly, she marked the code to close and hide the transportation from the lunar base and turned to go to...

…her wheelchair, suddenly awaiting in front of her with a kryptonian behind it. "Chris…"

"C'mon, you look tired, sit down."

Exhausted, Chloe abided. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

He pushed the wheelchair to the living room and resolved not to tell her about the nightmares. "I woke up a little ago," he lied.

Chloe saw where he was taking her. "Sweetie, I'd rather go to bed."

"In a minute, I promise." Chris placed the chair in front of the sofa and flew over Chloe, carefully grabbing her ankle and placing her leg on the soft surface. He smiled when he saw her relax. The music helped. "I hope you don't mind I turned the music on."

"It's ok. I like your choice." She really did.

"I like the sound of her voice. And the accent. The funny way she pronounces the 'r'," he responded. Then he sat in front of her and began to easily take the prosthetic leg off. "Was this among the ones Lois bought?"

Chloe let him do while she nodded. "Mmm. On my birthdays she chose the music forgetting her tastes." Chris carefully placed the metallic leg on the floor. "Oh, that feels good, honey." With her eyes closed, she didn't see him smiling proudly at the compliment.

"I learned something with Dad. Can I show you? You don't have to do anything," he quickly added. "Not even opening your eyes."

"What has your father taug-? Oh." The gentle massage on the stump eased the soreness. "Wow." She looked at him and didn't miss the shy yet triumphant smile that made way to his face.

"Dad has been learning all sorts of massaging techniques in case Mom's back needs it in the near future, and the other day we figured we could…" he gave her a sheepish look "I've seen how it hurts sometimes, so…"

Chloe leaned and cupped his chin. "It was very sweet of you, honey."

His face lit. "Is it working?"

"Like you have no idea. But Chris, you're doing too much already, I-"

"Mom would kick my butt if I didn't take care of you," he interrupted with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Chris…"

"Seriously. I think she's channeling her frustration over you guys hovering over her."

"Like you're not?," she asked amused.

"I'm her kiddo. Soft spot of the Lane defense wall," he proudly stated.

Chloe rolled her eyes chuckling. "Still, it is not fair."

Chris stopped the massage for a second, not quite understanding. "Why?"

"My being here has placed your life upside down. Moving in with me, not being able to call Lois 'mom' in public to keep appearances…" They shared a silent look. "Honey, you do have a right to be a little angry at this." Chris stared at her for a second, and then his mind took his eyes elsewhere. Chloe waited.

"Can I tell you a secret?," he asked shyly. Chloe nodded. "After you came, I… I had a talk with Mom. I needed some…," he paused, struggling to find the correct word. "I needed some distance. To sort things out by myself. But without going away. I needed my family too," he confessed with that sheepish smile that made everyone think Clark and him were really related. "So I figured I could move in with you. After all, you were my 'real' mother, no one would ask questions."

"So it was you who decided?"

"Kinda." Then he smiled. "Though I think mom approved when she figured out how much over-pampered she was going to be by all of us. This way she'd get rid of one."

"Look at you two, conniving all over the place." Chloe's cell rang at that moment. "Oh, come on…" She shifted to grab the phone from her pockets and looked at the screen. "It's Ollie. Hey." Chris stooped massaging and watched. "No, we haven't. Watching the news at-"

Reading the conversation and Chloe's intrigued face, Chris flew over the player and turned the music off. Then went back to Chloe, who had hang up the phone, pushed the chair away, lifted her and helped her onto the sofa. "I guess I don't have to ask you to-" Chris was already turning on the television. "… Turn on the news." And sitting by her side.

"I'm practicing my reading people skills."

"Good job on that one, grasshopper."

"So what are we looking for?"

"Ollie didn't say, but by his tone I'd guess it's-"

"Isn't that the prison where Lex Luthor is in?" The answer was not reassuring; Chloe's heart beating had changed its normal rhythm. They both grew silent while they listened to the news.

"… of why would Lex Luthor put an end to his life, remains a mystery. His lifeless body was found this morning by one of the guards. Forensic analysis will undoubtedly shed light on this striking news. Mr. Luthor leaves an economical empire of-"

Chloe turned off the TV. None spoke a word. None knew what to say.

Lex Luthor was dead.

_**OOOOO**_

**Music notes: **Chris plays an **Edith Piaf** vynil. The song playing is _**Eden Blues**_.


	5. Chapter 4: Gone, just like that

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **mild language.

**Notes**: Thanks a million for the favorites, alerts and comments! Hope you keep enjoying, there's a lot to come, we've just gotten started.

_**Chapter 4 "Gone, just like that?" **_

_**15**__**th**__** December, 2020. Metropolis, 'Le coin du Dupuis' restaurant.**_

'Le coin du Dupuis' was a modest but cozy restaurant, right in front of the Daily Planet. Many journalists went there to have breakfast, lunch and late dinners. Curiously, its most assiduous customer, Mr. Johnson, did not work at the newspaper. He would come almost every day, sit on a small table on the backside, and ask for a coffee and the day's breakfast specialty while reading the press.

The morning of December 15th was no more ordinary than others, and so he arrived, laid his hat and his yellow leather jacket on the chair and sat on his table, sparing a smile for the waitress as she served him. "Thank you, Sami." Before he opened the paper, his phone rang. "Johnson."

"Mr. Luthor's body was found this morning in his cell, sir."

Without further word from the other end, Mr. Johnson hung up the phone and placed it on the table as he opened the newspaper. It said nothing. He figured the man's body had been found very recently, and soon a new edition would flood the city. "Perfect timing." Raising his head, he looked at the tall building in front of him and smirked.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis.**_

"It's not true." Her pace was quick, making Clark a little nervous, keeping all his eyes on cars, and people she might shove on their way to work.

"Lois, honey, can you-?"

"Keep up, Smallville, I want to see what Perry knows, he wouldn't pick up the phone to talk to me when I called earlier. Coward."

Clark surrendered and walked with her, taking her hand. "So you think he didn't do it? Lois, I heard the forensics. They confirmed it was Lex."

"Suicide, Clark? Come on!"

"I couldn't believe it myself, hon, but all the evidences-" His cell rang. "It's Ollie."

"Take it, maybe he knows something."

"Oliver?"

Ollie went to the point. "How's she handling the news?"

Clark peeked at Lois. She looked determined to get to the morgue and beat the truth out of Lex's body if she had to. In fact, getting her towards the Planet had proven a real challenge. "As expected, I guess. Do you know anything else?"

"No. But maybe we should dig more on this. Can you make it to the Watchtower later? Will Lois be-?" Ollie was cut by an unexpected voice heard on the background.

"Tell your buddy he is getting off my nerves, along with the rest of you." Not happy with the protest, she snagged the phone from Clark. "Are we clear, Queen?"

"Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?"

Clark took the cell phone back while Lois mumbled some threat and kept walking. "Her senses have developed a little. You know…"

"And you speak really loud!," she added.

Clark chuckled. "Let me check with Perry and I'll see you there, alright?"

"Ok, man. See you later."

Clark placed the phone back on his trousers and kept walking.

"Honey."

"Yes?"

"Why don't you go now?," asked Lois determined to convince him.

"Now? But-"

"I'll tell Perry you have a contact on the prison or something and you went there to try and find more details."

"Are you sure? I could always-"

"I am sure, Clark. Go. You might actually find something out about all this that yours truly can't."

The comment made him roll his eyes. "Lois…"

"What? Sometimes even the best has flaws, dear," she drawled.

"You don't."

"I know," she said winking. Clark leaned in for a kiss. "See you at lunch with Chloe and Chris?"

"I'll try to make it. Where was it?"

"I called Chloe earlier, changed it to 'Dupuis'. I figured today would be a busy one at the paper, and better not go too far."

Clark considered it. "Alright. I'll try to make it." He leaned over and kissed her again. "Love you."

"Love you."

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower.**_

Clark was already in the hall, looking through the windowpane when Ollie arrived. "Well, that was quick," said the blond man. "Leave it to Miss Lane to have your rear end covered."

He chuckled. "Lois is very resourceful with excuses." Ollie joined him. The view was far better than any other possibility right now, and the faint reflection allowed them to talk to each other seeing their faces. "She'll also call us if she finds something."

"Confirmation of the bastard's death, I hope." The words fell out his mouth before he could do anything about it, but Ollie found he didn't mind it either. Clark's reflection, however, looked back at him slightly shocked. He looked down. The feeling of it being right didn't go away. "The guy almost destroyed us, Clark. Killed a friend, made Chloe leave. Tortured Chris and… Clark, we haven't even found Tess, and God knows what he did to her." He looked back at the reflection. "What do you want me to say, Clark? That I feel sorry?"

Clark pondered for some seconds. "No," he admitted. "Just the truth."

"Well, you got it, man, right out of my guts." Another pause. "And you know it and find yourself in conflict," he observed as he looked at him; the changes in Clark's face were almost imperceptible to anyone who looked at him. Years of training brought that. But not to the eyes of someone who knew him for so long. "A part of you is glad."

The answer came quietly. "Yes." Painfully honest for Clark. Almost a shock for Ollie. "Yes," he repeated. He sighed inwardly, but felt comfort by the hand on his shoulder. And looked no more at a reflection. "It is how I feel, and I can't deny it. But it isn't what I expected from me."

"No one would blame you, you know? Least of all any of us. Heck, least of all me."

"Ollie…"

"Look, the guy is dead, and none of us killed him, ok? Maybe it's time we looked to the future and spare no more time worrying about him. He doesn't deserve it, Clark. He should get oblivion, nothing more."

Clark pondered his friend's words. And they felt fundamentally right. Oblivion. To forget about him. Indifference. Lex would hate that, having worked so hard to be in their lives, creeping inside them.

"The future, Clark. And yours is looking pretty good right now. You deserve it." Clark looked at him. Ollie could see his eyes full of every emotion, honest and conflicted, that Clark could convey with them. "You do. And if you're too pigheaded to admit it, at least do it for her. And Chris. And the baby." A slight change on the outside, exposing a huge shift of balance causing turmoil on the inside. Ollie opted to drive the conversation to lighter lands. "And speaking of that, how about uncle Ollie and aunt Dinah moving in to Metropolis for a while?"

"What?"

"I'm securing my rightful place on the line for Godfather," he deadpanned. "I have to win bonus points. You're developing an alarming friendship with the Bat."

"Ollie, we were not thinking about-"

Ollie smiled privately at his success, having Clark actually forgetting, even if for a few seconds, their prior more serious conversation. He didn't really feel like deepening in any kind of soul-searching talk over their absence of guilt on Lex's demise. To fucking hell with that. "Oh, yes you are. I don't care if you raise the kid a heathen. But she or he has to have a Godfather."

He caved. "I'll talk to Lois."

"Well, actually I wanted to tell her myself. How about lunch one of these days?"

"We're meting with Chris and Chloe today."

"No, can't do. Dick has come to visit."

"I spoke to him the other day. He looks good."

"He is doing good," he confirmed. "See? Even Dick is looking ahead."

"Ok, Ollie, I got your point."

"Make sure Lois gets the point of having us around too, ok? I'd like a yes when I tell her."

"I thought you wanted to break the news yourself."

Ollie chuckled. "I'm bold, Clark, not suicidal. Pave the way for uncle Ollie."

_**OOO**_

_****__**Metropolis, 'Le coin du Dupuis' restaurant.**_  


Lois loved the juices they served at Dupuis', even the simpler ones, and soon enough she had discovered her stomach had decided it desperately needed an orange juice before she made any attempt at eating solid. Clark had still not appeared, but given the news about the raids in Portland, she figured he'd be late. He hadn't called either, meaning the League knew nothing about Lex.

So for all they knew he was dead. Had taken his own life, which was so un-Lex. He had been finding ways to fight back every bump in the road, and he'd had many. Granted, the League's strike on him exposing Barbara's murder had been flawless, but it was Lex. Lex always had an ace hidden under his sleeve. Goddammit, he had Clark's secret identity as leverage, why not use it and suddenly sever it all? It didn't make sense, it just didn't, and all her guts were telling her so, while on the other side, all forensics called under the worldwide suspicion that it all sounded too weird, had confirmed it was his body before they allowed to move the corpse and incinerate it, as had been his will. Tomorrow there would be a private funeral. Lois wondered who would go.

Couldn't find a name.

A sudden movement stirred her out of her thoughts, and she patted her belly. "Hey, stop kicking," she protested. "I'm giving you the juice you wanted, right? Quid pro quo, kid. I drink the damn juice, you stop kicking around."

"Lo, don't be dramatic. You love that juice."

Lois raised her head and silenced Chloe. "Sssshhhh. He doesn't know it," she whispered. "And he has to learn some discipline."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "He?"

"I'm tired of 'he/she'. So I flipped a coin. It is 'he' today." Her face brightened when she saw a figure approaching. "Hey Chris."

Chris leaned down and hugged Lois. "Hi Mom," he whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"All good, sweetie." She saw Chris sparing a look to her belly a little more serious and made an effort not to roll her eyes and yell at him for more over-the-top concern. Counting to ten also helped. "Behaving too. Come on, take a sit guys."

"Where's Clark?," asked Chloe.

Lois shrugged. "Oh, you know him. Time flies when he's out seeking news."

A waitress came. "Stomach better, Miss Lane?"

Lois patted the visible bump on her belly. "Looks like the juice met his expectations."

"You know the gender then?"

"She flipped a coin," said Chris out of the blue with devastating innocence. "Tails is boy, heads is girl." Chloe looked the other way, but Lois could see her body shaking in silent laughter.

"Clark and I don't want to know the baby's gender, but as giving the same explanation to everyone and their mother over -I hope- nine months is long and boring, I resolved to swap randomly."

"Thus the coin," explained Chris as serious as before. Chloe burst out laughing.

"See what I have to go through every day, Sami?," she protested to the waitress.

"I'd say you're very lucky, Miss Lane. And the coin thing? Damn right you are. Wish I'd done that with Laura."

"Well, you can do that with the next one. Is it ok to wait for Clark before ordering?" She looked around. "Place is pretty full," she acknowledged.

"Nah, it's totally fine. Boss knows better than to misbehave with one of his best clients. I'll come by later. But will bring you an extra drink now, if you don't mind."

"We'll drink it really slow so customers don't complain at the table occupied by the non-eating horribly selfish people." Chuckling, the waitress went away, soon returning with two filled glasses.

"Thanks, Sami."

"No problem." The waitress left and an awkward silence ensued.

"So." Lois started the conversation, but didn't really know where to take it. Or more accurately, wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it right now. She'd noticed it tended to upset her stomach. Lex. Go figure.

Chloe worded her thoughts. "Shocking morning."

"You tell me."

"I cannot say I'm sad about it," said Chris. "He hurt us all," he added when he noticed both women looking at him.

"I still can't believe it, Chloe. It's not like Lex."

"I thought the same…"

"The guy has resources even under the pebbles, and he's the ultimate liar."

"But-"

"I know, Chris," said Lois. "Probably it's just me being paranoid." Lois sighed. "I wish it were true, though. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder."

"Maybe this time you don't have to anymore." Chloe turned a little serious. "I had the same feeling as you when Chris and I saw the news this morning. I mean, suddenly? I could not believe it either."

Lois nodded. "Clark told me forensics confirmed it was him, and for God's sake, he was behind bars. It's just that…it's been…Lex has always been around, and we already believed him dead once."

"I checked."

"What?"

"I hacked into the prison's security cameras. Lex never left the cell."

"And how…?"

"Some pill he got to somehow. As to his contacts, I don't know. But he never left the prison, that's for sure."

"So he had someone passing him some kind of cyanide to commit suicide? Just like that?"

"It's hard to believe but…" It _was _hard to believe indeed_. _"Just like that."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Cemetery.**_

_Just like that. Yesterday he was here and today he is not._ Clark looked down. "Is he with you, Lionel?," he asked the engraved marble stone. He'd normally stop by after visiting his father's tomb, but today he felt the need to spare more than a few silent seconds in front of Lionel Luthor's grave.

The stone remained silent. "I am sorry, Mr. Luthor. Sorry I could not save him." _He wouldn't let me._ Clark made sure no one was around and ran at super-speed towards the café.

A few seconds later, a figure stepped out of the shadows, phone in hand. "Beta test complete. The frequency modifier works on inhibition too. Good job."

"Thank you, Mr. Luthor."

The new device worked flawlessly. It made his presence undetectable to an over-developed hearing, such as Superman's. And so it had worked. Like he expected his engineered projects to be. Like the clone had been. Genetic engineering elevated to perfection. The clone had thought he was Lex Luthor, with a minor adjustment: he lacked the mind to figure out a plan to escape prison, he did not know his secrets and he would rather give up his life than spending his time behind bars. Self-esteem properly diminished, his men posing as his lawyers, a few carefully chosen words, a pill, and let time and controlled genetics follow their course. Just like that.

Sneering, Lex adjusted his hat over the wig and put on his yellow leather jacket, leaving the cemetery without sparing a glance at the solitary tomb where Clark had been by a minute before.

_**OOOOO**_


	6. Chapter 5: White walls, empty eyes

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 5**__** "White walls, empty eyes" **_

_**15**__**th**__** December, 2020. Star City.**_

Dick held his stance, his muscles tensed and his feet firmly and evenly pressing the ground, as he observed his opponent studying him from every possible angle, pondering the possibilities.

"You're not using your sticks," his adversary observed.

Dick smirked. "Diana told me you were great with the staff. I don't see any around here. So I'm not using them."

Dinah smiled at the attitude. It was great to see that smugness on him. A little bitter since it reminded her of Babs, but all in all, good to see Dick had gotten some of it. "I'm giving you a chance here, Grayson. Don't say I didn't warn you." Dinah kept studying Dick. No muscle was out of place or relaxed. He was in perfect balance and ready to attack or deflect a blow. Whatever was thrown at him, he'd be up for it.

"Dinah, we can be hours circling and analyzing each other, finding no weak points. C'mon, make a move."

"You could always bring the sticks into the party and even the odds," she proposed smugly.

"And then I would have to come in and throw an arrow at certain pertinent parts for hitting an already injured someone." Both turned to the new voice in the training gym, seeing Ollie casually leaning on the wall, eyes set on Dinah with furrowed brows. "I guess a certain bird forgot to mention she got hurt on her last mision." Ollie didn't back away at Dinah's glare.

Dick turned to her. "That why you were protecting your back?"

"You noticed?," she asked frowning. "Am I getting sloppy in my old age?"

He snorted. "Old?"

"Still, I would've beaten the smugness out of you, Grayson."

"Still, I am not sparring with you if you're hurt." He turned to Ollie. "Sorry, I didn't know."

"Men." Dinah walked towards Ollie and hugged him. "I feel fine, Ollie." As an answer he pinched her on the sore area he had discovered in the morning. "Ow!" He raised an eyebrow. "Ok. I admit it. It hurts. A little." The remaining eyebrow joined its twin. Dinah sighed in defeat. It was really hurting at that moment. "Alright. I'll take it easy."

"Now we're talking." He pressed his lips on her forehead and then looked at Dick, who was putting on a clean shirt. "You heard the news?"

He nodded. "Unexpected."

"Did you guys find out more?," asked Dinah, still on the embrace.

"Chloe confirmed it was him."

A silence fell the room. Dinah looked at Dick. Silent and serious. But not angry, or sad. She walked to him and squeezed his hand. "Hey." Dick looked back at her and smiled. Not one of those that reached the eye, but a smile, for which Dinah was thankful. "C'mon, I hear Ollie made a reservation in my favorite restaurant."

_**OOO**_

_**Argentina. Iguazu Falls.**_

Flying with Clark had always been one of Chris' favorite things to do, and ever since his return, Clark had made it a point to have them regularly. He would take Chris to one corner of the Earth and they would spend some time there. Today they had flown South. "Wow." Chris awed at the wild landscape before him.

"Watch it, son, we don't want to disturb the tourists."

The Iguazu falls opened majestically before their eyes, a reign of water that, from up there, seemed to have swallowed the Earth and fed the remaining lands, blossoming in all kinds of greens. "It's…it's enormous, Dad, it's incredible!" Chris adjusted his super hearing to absorb the sound of the water. Deafening, powerful. A force of nature displaying before his senses. "Do you think we can make a quick flight and..." He pulled his best puppy eyes.

Clark ruffled his head with a fond smile. "Maybe at night, one of this days. Come, I know a place where the views are as spectacular and we'll go unnoticed." Clark guided him and they flew towards a set of tall trees. "This one has strong branches."

Indeed the view was still breathtaking. "Whoa, Dad. You weren't joking!"

"I'm not particularly known for my sense of humor, son."

"Yeah, I know." Chris saw Clark raise his eyebrows. "Mom says that all the time." Eyebrows didn't go down. "Not the trait that made her fall head over heels for you, she says. It is not bad, is it?" Clark chuckled. "I mean, when we love we take the good and the bad, right?"

"We do, Chris. Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you." He stayed silent for a few seconds and glanced at the boy knowing pride was coloring his features at the moment. "You are learning fast, you know? And I don't mean your powers."

"Life and humanity?" Clark nodded. A smile escaped Chris' lips. "I have good teachers."

"How is it going with Chloe?"

"Great!," he said enthusiastically. "She's awesome, Dad. She really is. She even said yes when I asked if I could have my room painted in color."

"I was wondering why your room was the only one not white."

Chris hid his emotions and faked a childish face. "White is…," he tried to find a plausible reason.

"Boring?," supplied Clark.

"That's right," he added thankful he provided it for him. No further questions asked.

"You get to spend time with her, that's good, Chris. Is she alright?"

Chris looked at him a little confused. Aunt Chloe and Dad saw each other a lot, so he didn't understand why would he ask about her. But then remembered something Chloe had told him one day about Clark and his need and desire to have his family happy and together. "You do consider her family, don't you? Beyond the blood bond, I mean." The concept of family for Clark was much more meaningful than any normal human being born and raised within a family. It went beyond.

Clark seemed to think about it for a short silent moment. "Considering she was one of my best friends and all she went through to keep Lois safe…"

"I would do the same. Give my life up for you, or Mom. Or her." Chris said it without thinking it. The sentiment was there, he realized as soon as the words left his mouth. And he didn't regret saying it. He looked at Clark, whose face was tense with all his emotions swirling behind the eye. "I would." Stark honest. Clark was going to say something, Chris knew, but their ears caught a very familiar sound. A call for help. At that moment Clark Kent, 'Dad', they left their place to Superman. "Do you want my help?," he offered.

His words had not left his father's mind; Chris could read it in his voice.

"N-no, son, it's ok. Go home, I'll see you later." With a brief squeeze on his shoulder, Chris found himself alone, seeing a red and blue blur fading in the distance.

"I would, Dad." For a moment, Chris closed his eyes and let his mind sink, reality fading under the sound of the water.

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location. 2018**_

_It smelled clean. It always did. Sterilized place with white walls, white ceiling, white floors, white clothes. All white in a very white sort of way. Chris had never been in a darkest place before. At least in the Phantom zone he had been able to move around, not bound with kryptonite's handcuffs to gurneys, machines or walls, like he was now, surrounded by white._

_He had lost count of the time spent in this place, but he remembered his desperation when he had stared into those walls, trying to see something, anything, before going mad. After what was probably months of trying, he had learnt to see with his mind instead. To remember, to cling onto hope. To see their faces, Mom's and Dad's. The fear of forgetting them was so, that every day he would focus on them, victorious smile showing every time, because he would remember even the sound of their voices. To see and to listen with his memories was his private conquest of freedom, a time to forget this prison, to be oblivious to the man he sensed staring at him from a calculated distance. Chris refused to give in to this unwanted presence and closed his eyes harder, drawing a frown of concentration on his face in the effort._

_Lex studied the boy as he listened with obvious disinterest to Dr. Grohl's report. "Conclusions, Dr. Grohl."_

"_We have neutralized its harming effects only in a 30%."_

"_Assessment?," he asked without taking his eyes off the subject._

_The doctor cleared his throat. "Too early to try."_

_Lex remained silent for a minute, studying the boy, seemingly focused on something that escaped their reach. Challenging, in a way. "Get him to the test room."_

_No one challenged Lex Luthor._

"_But sir-"_

"_Have the solar gun ready."_

"_Sir, with all due respect, I-"_

"_I gave an order, Dr. Grohl, not a suggestion."_

"_Of course." The man bowed in deference and walked towards the boy, followed by two other men. Lex followed, still intrigued by the peace irradiating from the boy, musing about where he went on those seconds, and guessed he was there right at that moment, for when he opened his eyes, he did not react with fear to their presence._

_Over the first months, they had tested his tolerance levels to ordinary kryptonite. Once they had achieved it, the goal was to control the body through the mind._

_Lex studied him as he was taken to the other room. Knowing he was powerless, he did not show resistance. He merely made a bigger effort into returning to wherever his mind was._

_The room was lined in lead, as the whole compound, safe from certain prying eyes. Lex supervised the initial steps of the test. The doctor took a syringe with a kryptonite needle. Chris saw it and looked at the doctor. "Not the mask?," he simply asked, catching the doctor unaware. Lex remained silent._

_Dr. Grohl was taken aback. With all the things they were doing, all the pain inflicted, his freedom taken away from him, and he was asking a question in the simplest of ways. It was as if the boy had undergone some sort of…he was no longer a kid, he realized. "We are testing a new kind of anesthetic," he said lying. "For that we need you unconscious, to see how your body responds," he continued, hoping the boy would accept it and let him do. Suddenly he wanted to hurt him even less than he had before. "You may feel some pain," he surprised himself saying as he pushed the needle, piercing his skin, the boy's muscles tensing with the pain of more kryptonite than he tolerated. Then he stopped. "He's out."_

"_Then proceed."_

_The doctor placed the breathing mask on Chris' mouth and stepped back, focusing his attention on the monitors. "It is getting through his system. Constants stable." They waited. Nothing seemed to happen._

"_It works."_

_Then the machines stated otherwise as Chris' body jerked and convulsed in spasms. Dr. Grohl and the other workers secured the straps preventing the boy to harm himself or break equipment. "It's not working, Mr. Luthor, it's killing his cells!" The doctor grabbed a gun-shaped machine and secured his suit and helmet. "Everyone out of the room!" As they did, he opened Chris' shirt and shot on his bare chest. The room exploded in blinding light, three times, until the monitors signaled Chris' constants settled enough to bring his powers unrestrained enough to heal him, forcing his body out of the unconscious state._

_For an instant, Chris felt his strength back. For a fleeting moment; soon, the kryptonite came back and he felt weak again. He turned his head and saw the device on the doctor's hand._

"_Solar particles."_

"_To wake me up?," he asked confused. He didn't know what had happened, but his insides hurt._

_Dr. Grohl shook his head. "To save your life." He then turned to look at Mr. Luthor and nodded, confirming the boy was alright. Then he swallowed at the lack of amusement or approval in his superior._

_Lex turned, serious, and walked to another room. Typing the code he opened the door and entered, approaching the patient inside. As alert as she could be, and face unreadable. Lex smirked at the sight. "You always excelled at hiding emotions, Miss Mercer." Getting no reaction, Lex pressed a button, tilting the bed toward him, revealing the mechanism that kept Tess fixed to it. Looking at the charts, he came closer. "Your spine is recovering. There's a chance you'll get back feeling in your legs," he casually stated._

"_Why bother?" The voice was weak, devoid of emotion._

_Beaten, alive and preserved for his pleasure. Lex made direct eye contact with her. "Because I am not done with you, Tess Mercer."_

_Tess looked at him, and then stared pass Lex, towards the rarely open door. She looked at nothing, she had long ago lost hope, her mind wouldn't find any memories left. The door somehow seemed a distraction for her eyes, so they automatically went there, and then, they fixed on something. Someone, a boy, taken somewhere on a gurney. Her brain recognized. She had seen him before. A year ago. Or yesterday perhaps._

_**OOO**_

_**Sky.**_

Chris flew back home, unwanted memories lingering and determination written on his face. He remembered that day when he had looked at this woman, this Tess Mercer, and she had looked back with empty eyes. They had not been able to find her, she was somewhere, lost, suffering. He quickened his speed.

Lex Luthor was dead. It was time to make everything right, once and for all.

Any means necessary.

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **"_My body is a cage_", by **Arcade fire. "**_My body is a cage…but my mind holds the key_." Chris' did, Tess' no more. The song sounded very atmospheric for both, for different reasons. One manages to. The other one no more.


	7. Chapter 6: Crumbling peace on life

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes****: **An original character from "Link" makes her return in this chapter.

_**Chapter 6 "**__**Crumbling peace on life"**_

_**Metropolis. 3**__**rd**__** January, 2021**_

December had come and gone swiftly. The initial shock brought by Lex's death led way to a very much wanted tranquility, with Christmas right around the corner. Chloe had taken some time off to visit her father in Detroit. He was happily remarried and would not make it to Metropolis for Christmas, so she decided to go and meet her step family, staying there for a week. All convenient explanations on her absence given back in August, this had been a leisure trip. Moira Sullivan had passed away five years before. A brain tumor; her light faded in five months. Given her previous condition, she had not suffered at all, had not noticed her body slowly giving up its functions. One day she had simply not opened her eyes. It had been one of the very few times Clark had called her, to offer his condolences and a friend, if she wanted him, knowing she hadn't stopped keeping tabs on her mom, especially since Mrs. Sullivan had fallen terminally ill.

Having all the family reunited, Mrs. Kent had proposed to celebrate Christmas at the Kent farm. Lois had been nervous and excited, partly for her and mostly for Clark. Family was everything to him. Seeing that look, that happiness, was worth it. She was the one supposed to be glowing on this partnership, but those days, Clark was radiant.

They had spent New Year in Metropolis at the Queen tower. The prior day, Clark had received an e-mail from the woman who had confronted Lex the night of Barbara's murder, on a rally act, asking if she could contact Queen industries regarding a Heritage project she was working on, for funding purposes. Finding it interesting enough, Ollie had agreed to meet her, and since Lois had a day off the very date his schedule was free, she had offered to make the introductions, meeting Ollie right outside the Daily Planet, where she had gone for a quick visit to Perry after breakfast.

Ollie greeted her with a smile. "You look beautiful."

She snorted. "Heh."

"What?"

"I know," she said smugly. Ollie rolled his eyes. "Hey, you said it, why should I lie? C'mon, Queen, I want to walk, traffic stresses me out." Grabbing his arm, they started walking towards the Queen tower.

"Clark told me the pregnancy's going well."

"So far I can't complain, nothing out of the ordinary." Ollie blinked and Lois saw it coming. Hell, she could see him coming from miles, Ollie was the epitome of predictability. "Don't even start, Queen," she warned.

"Are you going to tell me that this," he said pointing to her belly, "is normal?"

"I'd like to think so, despite the fact that I have the whole freaking Justice League and their mother ready to remind me it is not."

Ollie was going to protest. But then he reconsidered, and Lois' serious façade hinted him further. "We're making it a little difficult to completely enjoy it for you aren't we?" It wasn't really a question, and suddenly he felt very stupid.

Lois sighed a little. "I cannot be 24/7 worrying about all the things that might go wrong with this, because despite Emil saying everything's right, this is not a normal pregnancy. I just can't, Ollie."

"Hey." Ollie placed a hand on her shoulder. "C'mere." He hugged Lois. "I'm sorry we're all being a pain about this, honey."

"You're all very cute, Ollie, and I get all the concern, I really do. Just…stop sharing and worry yourselves in private, ok?"

Ollie smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. And got a punch on the ribs. "Ouch!" He looked down to meet a pair of hazel eyes looking seriously back. "Alright, I'll stop being mother hen."

Lois studied him and scowled. "You will not." And had to roll her eyes at the grin she had as an answer. They resumed walking.

"Actually, Dinah and I are moving here."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"Ollie…"

"I'll lay off the concerned-for-you persona as much as I can fake it, but forget about not having your friends around."

"Still making bonus points with Clark to get to be godfather?"

"What?"

Lois grinned. "Clark told me."

"Pfff. Clark is a-"

"You're so mushy when you want to, Queen," she said not even trying to hide her fun at his blushing.

"So." Ollie changed conversation to other pastures, blushing didn't become him. "Tell me why you didn't get an interview with this woman back there when she verbally kicked Luthor's ass."

"Clark tried, but she didn't want to." Ollie blinked. "I wasn't there."

"That explains it. And then Little Miss Shyness reappeared out of the blue wanting to talk to another national celebrity."

"Don't flatter yourself, Queen. She wants your money."

"Actively preserving and protecting the National Heritage does good to the public image," he acknowledged.

"Not to speak of the significant fiscal benefits."

"I have to start funding something other than the Justice League of America, Lane. People will start talking," he joked.

"You're a paragon of altruism, Oliver," she said. Lois spotted the woman already waiting by the entrance of Queen's tower, and raised a hand when she looked at them. "There she is."

"What was her name again?"

"Isabel Parker."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location. 2019**_

_Lex looked at the __lab tube on his table. _

"_The prototype, Mr. Luthor."_

"_Estimation of results?"_

"_None," said the doctor. "After the unpredicted results on the gas, we did not want to risk it."_

"_It should work on human bodies too."_

"_The spreading rate through a human body matches Kryptonian physiology in over a 99.8%, sir, yes."_

_Lex looked at him. "So what are you waiting for?" _

"_Only your approval, Mr. Luthor."_

"_Request granted. Have the subject ready." _

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. 3**__**rd**__** January, 2021**_

Lois made the introductions, and Ollie extended his arm for a handshake while greeted the woman smiling. "I read your report, Miss Parker. Seemed interesting enough to catch my interest."

"Queen industries has a very interesting policy of setting off carbon emissions and carrying out a full green policy."

"We try to keep awareness real and approachable for everyone," he said not disguising his pride for that particular turn of his business.

"That a powerful corporation makes such bold bet is something I appreciate. And I thought you'd be interested in heritage as well. Showing concern for such matters has public image benefits."

Ollie looked at Lois. "You didn't tell me she was so blunt."

"I didn't know," she replied smiling at the woman.

"I guess I have to grant part of the credit to my partner as the one pointing me to your direction, Mr. Queen."

"Why didn't he come?"

"Oh, I wasn't talking about a business partner, I meant girlfriend," she explained. "She doesn't work in this field, she's a librarian at Met-U, but she knew of some former funding projects and suggested me I asked."

"Nicely done, I may add," said Lois.

A warm memory washed over Ollie. Babs had been a librarian. Ollie smiled. "Well, give her my kudos for the idea. I would really like to hear more about this."

"That I'll tell her. Thank you."

"My office is over there," he said motioning his arm towards the tower. "Shall we?"

"Of course."

"Mind if I tag along?," asked Lois. "You never know where a good story will pop around."

"I don't mind sending you a report in a few months," she offered.

Lois rolled her eyes and Ollie chuckled. "You collect them, love," he said.

"Them?"

Ollie whirled his index finger between Isabel and him. "Us." Isabel chuckled.

"Stalkers?," she drawled.

"C'mon, Miss Parker, I think we're going to get along swimmingly well." They started walking. "Coming, Lane?"

_**OOO**_

_**Smallville. **_

The Kent farm was a very peaceful place. Everybody said that, but nobody understood why Clark would seem as if he was holding back a secret every time someone told him that. In truth, his parents' house was a peaceful place to live, until his mother had her furniture tantrums. Normally it would start by her walking casually inside a room. Then stopping and looking around. As a child, Clark had seen the wheels turning. And then, suddenly, she would start moving furniture around. As if the previous way was suddenly wrong and she had to fix it. He had slept with his head towards all four cardinal points. And the ones in between too.

So now her sudden need of rearranging Clark's old bedroom for the baby didn't come as a surprise. Only as a very scary thing. But a family tradition. Sort of. And as such, he had brought Chloe and Chris along. As backup.

"Mom, don't you think it's too early for these preparations?," he asked as he moved the bed to the opposite wall.

Martha was studying the window. "Precisely, Clark. What if this is wrong and we have to change it again? Wouldn't it be better to do it with time than at the last minute, all stressed out?"

"Your mother does know about the superspeed thing, right?," asked Chloe in a whisper.

"Family traditions are done the old fashioned way."

"Also known as human for the rest of us," replied Chloe dryly.

"Sorry. This always throws me off balance."

Martha continued, oblivious to their banter. "Chris, sweetheart, can you take the table over there?"

"Wouldn't it let not enough space for the crib?," he suggested.

Chloe couldn't help but grin. "Looks like your Mom found an ally."

"More a partner in crime."

"Chloe, Clark, come on, you are supposed to help."

"Brace your self, Chloe."

"Can't I report disability?"

"If you do as much as trying to limp you're toast."

"Party pooper."

"Coward."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location. 2019**_

_When __Chris was left alone for a while, one of his abilities, the least lethal of all, his hearing, came back. Most of the times he wished it didn't. _

_That day, the sound of a gun startled him._

_**OOO**_

_Tess heard the shot, and then felt a searing pain on her shoulder. Strapped to the wall, she could not move when all her instincts pleaded for pressure put on the wound. The only thing she could do was to block the pain hitting the back of her head against the wall. Self inflicted pain to mute the one she could not control. And he hadn't even had the decency of uncovering her mouth so she could breathe properly. The taste of bile forced her to use her nose even if at that moment it didn't provide her with enough air. A firm hand on the back of her neck stopped her and forced her to open her eyes, meeting a despised sneer._

"_Now, Miss Mercer. We wouldn't like you to hurt yourself. This will just take a few seconds. Then it'll be over."_

_It was never over. __The pain always lasted some minutes and then it stopped, but only to start again. Tests, side effects, experiments. Her body wasn't hers anymore, and he was doing the unthinkable to possess her mind too. The only thing she had been able to do was giving it up, numbing it. But the bastard always found it. She only wanted to stop it. Stop the pain. _

_A man she hadn't noticed before was holding what looked like a measurer device. __"The kryptonite bullet works, sir. It doesn't affect the vessel if it's human, but radiates enough to threaten a kryptonian if he or she stays close enough." _

_A radiation measuring device._

"_Close enough to kill him?"_

"_Only under extended exposure. But close enough to hurt."_

_Lex looked at Tess. "Good."_

_The doctor added. "We can guess that the same mechanism would work on Kryptonians using the new samples."_

"_Start proceedings, I want results within the week."_

_**OOO**_

_When he was left alone for a while, one of his abilities, the least lethal of all, his hearing, returned. __That day, Chris wished it would never come back._

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. 3**__**rd**__** January, 2021**_

The three walked out of the building. "I have a busy schedule this week, but as I will be on an extended stay in Metropolis," he said avoiding Lois' murdering glare, "we'll be able to meet shortly."

"Fantastic." She shook his hand back.

"Reiterate my compliments and gratitude to your girlfriend, I'm honestly glad she gave you the idea to come to us."

"I will, Mary will be happy to know this." Isabel turned to Lois for a handshake. "Miss Lane-"

"Lois. Or I'll expose you."

"She will," warned Ollie.

"I'm just glad this time I caught you on a very different situation, it's great to see you this well. Give Mr. Kent my congratulations."

"I will. He was sad he was away today, he would've loved to meet you again."

"Well, I'll be around here, so whenev-" She stopped talking. Something was different. She felt pain first, and then the world started to fade.

"Miss Parker?" Ollie looked at her. Her eyes were wide open, in shock. "Miss Parker!" Ollie caught the woman before she fell on the floor, now her brain probably noticing the bleeding wound on her shoulder. "Lois, take cover!," he shouted among the commotion growing on the street. "Miss Parker, can you hear me?"

Isabel was on the ground, confused. "What…?"

Ollie was putting pressure on the wound while his eyes were frantically looking for whoever had shot. "Miss Parker, you've got a gunshot wound on your shoulder, I…" He looked on his pocket but didn't find his cell. "Dammit," he hissed. "Lois," he shouted as he tended to the wound, "call an ambulance." Carefully, he turned the woman to assess the injury. There was no exit orifice. "The bullet didn't come out," he informed the half-conscious woman, "but as soon as we get you to the hospital you'll be ok. Lois, did they say anything from the hospital?" He got no reply. "Lois?" Ollie looked up. Lois was pale and frowning as unconsciously grabbing her stomach. Ollie extended a hand trying to offer support. "Lois? Honey, what's wrong."

Lois walked to use Ollie as support. "I don't…I don't feel so g-ah!" She fell on her knees, this time her eyes widely shut, face contorted in pain.

"Lois!"

_**OOOOO**_


	8. Chapter 7: Ghost without a name

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 7 "**__**Ghost without a name" **_

_**Metropolis. 3**__**rd**__** January, 2021**_

Ollie didn't remember ever being that scared. Frentic, he saw a man approaching alarmed at the scenery and waved his arm towards him. "Hey, you! Come, put some pressure in here!" As the man kneeled and did as told, Ollie could hear someone calling an ambulance. "Hang in there, Miss Parker." Eyes already set on Lois, he left a hand linger on the woman before rushing to Lois' side, not even wincing when his knees hit the concrete. "Lois?" She was lost in whatever was going on in her body, and he held her by the shoulders, wishing for some privacy and for it to stop. "Lois, what's wrong, is it-?" He didn't want to say it. He didn't want Lois to say it. This was not going to happen.

"I'm not sure, Ollie, I d-don't know what's wrong, it's…"

Ollie rubbed her back in a desperate attempt to soothe her. "Breathe, honey, Clark will be here any second." Taking off his jacket and placing it on the ground, he motioned and helped her to sit. "Sit here, I'll-"

"Can't. Hurts."

"Ok," he whispered. Then he moved and kneeled behind her using his body to support hers, letting her lean forward as much as she needed to relieve whatever pressure she was feeling securing his stance so she wouldn't fall. _Clark, come on, man_. "This is not helping your case of getting us off your back, I hope you know that."

"You can t-tell him when he's born, b-because I am not losing this baby, goddammit." She could feel Ollie's hands close tighter.

Ollie forced his body to stay tense enough to allow him giving Lois the space she needed as well as the support. "Him, huh?," he asked in desperate attempt at erasing the fear now clutching and turning his stomach.

"Coin. Tails," she hissed through the pain.

Ollie snorted, and held her tighter, wishing that wishing hard could make things happen for real. Then he glanced at the man helping the other woman. "How's she doing?"

"Bleeding, man, and this shit is weird, there's green stuff on the wound."

Ollie's eyes opened wide in realization. Lois' body was crying it out loud and he hadn't seen it. "Keep putting pressure on it." Then he turned to Lois, whispering. "Lois." She didn't seem to hear him. He tried again. "Lois, honey, we have to get you out of here."

"I can't move, Ollie, I-"

"She's been shot with kryptonite," he whispered into her ear. Lois went still for a second. "I need to take you away from her." Lois, her eyes shut and tears coming out, nodded. "Alright." Leaving an arm for support, Ollie went to her side, and once he got her secured, he gently guided her arms around his neck. "Hold on to me, I got you." Then he placed an arm on her back and the other on the back of her knees and slowly he rose. "Let's get you out of here."

"Ollie."

"Tell me."

"Not a word on my weigh."

"Jesus, Lois, don't make me crack up now." He walked, and suddenly his eyes caught something up in the sky. A familiar figure. "Kryptonite, don't come," he whispered.

"Ollie?"

"Clark's here."

"Ollie, if he comes…Clark, I'm fine, just…you'll expose us both, just…"

Ollie heard a siren. "The ambulance is coming, I'll take you as far as I can without arising any suspicion. Clark, meet us up in-" Ollie sighed inwardly and quickened his pace.

"Ollie, you don't have to run, I already feel-"

"Someone just ignored ranks." Clark was running towards them, careless of the danger only a few feet away, eyes fixed on Ollie's cargo.

Lois turned her head and saw him approaching. "About time he got something from me." She was feeling better already.

"Lois!" Without so much of a look, Clark took her in his arms.

"I'm ok, Clark. You can put me down."

"When we get to see Emil."

"Clark, c'mon, don't tell me you're-"

"The baby's heartbeat is stable, Lois, but you're not getting off my arms until Emil says you two are out of danger." He looked at Ollie, distracted by the sounds of the ambulance. "Ollie, what happened?"

"She got shot." He looked at Clark, grateful that all the buzz around Miss Parker had almost ignored the fact that Superman was a few feet away from them. "It looks like the bullet had some unfriendly green lining. Lois got sick almost immediately."

"And Lois is fairly well now that she's far from it," she protested. "Will you put me down?"

"No. Behave." Ollie snorted. "Is she well, do you need me to take her to the hospital?," he asked referring to Isabel.

"Shoulder wound, should be fine and no, there's an ambulance coming, her life is in no danger, you have a handful in your arms right now and I do not want exposure, not until we know what the hell is going on here. But I'm calling J'onn, we might need help on this one."

"Help as in?"

"Come on, Clark. Kryptonite bullets to random targets near Lois Lane?"

"Clark, take me to Emil."

"Is something wrong? Are you feeling ok, is it-" he found his mouth firmly closed by a hand.

"If it's the only way I'm getting on my feet you're already losing my time, Smallville, because there's no way I'm not going to get that story."

_**OOO**_

Chris had flown back to Metropolis as soon as he could. He had sensed Dad's distress, and that was normally when something happened to Mom. He stayed behind for a while, trying to be calm in front of Chloe and Grandma, but as soon as he had been able, he'd followed the sound of her heartbeats, as Dad had taught him, and had found himself in front of Dr. Hamilton's office scared out of his wits with all sorts of possibilities swirling in his head. He had only sighed in relief when he heard the words 'perfectly ok' out of the doctor's mouth, and then he had left, knowing Mom would smack him on the back of his neck if she found out he had rushed out of the farm without a warning for nothing.

Oliver Queen seemed a safe source of information, so he could be ready to tell Chloe what had happened, because there was no way he was going to get out of that one. He found himself slightly confused at the hospital. "Mr. Queen?"

Ollie waved. "Hey."

"I heard about what happened, uncle Clark told me that my aunt was…"

"She's ok, Chris. Just a dizzy spell."

"But-"

Ollie saw a man approaching. "Later, Chris?"

"Mr. Queen," said the man showing his identification, "John Jones, Metropolis Police Department. Can I ask you some questions?"

"Of course."

"I have my car outside."

Chris saw them walk outside and remained behind, a little confused. He thought the League covered cases like this until it was safe for the police to get in. Chloe had told him of a few. Then he caught on a whisper. Meant for him. "Follow us." Chris walked, at a distance, towards the hospital's exit. Once outside, he saw Oliver and the police officer waiting for him.

"So," the police officer said, "it's Mr. Queen now." He eyed Chris. "I'm J'onn, son, just covering up."

"You make me look old, Chris," he said. "Has Lois told you to call me Mr. Queen?"

Chris couldn't help an impish grin appearing. Despite that not being true. "No, she hasn't."

"Then stop doing it."

"She didn't tell me, but she kind of raised me to have respect for my elders." J'onn couldn't help the snort.

"Are we really sure you're not her kid?," protested Ollie rolling his eyes. "Just tell us what you got, J'onn."

"Nothing new. Kryptonite bullet with some sort of mechanism to open a fissure once inside a warm body."

"I've seen those before," said Chris, while looking at Oliver, his face saying he wasn't liking the implications of his words. "But it's impossible, right?" He wanted them to tell him so. "I mean, he's, dead, right?"

They didn't tell him so.

_**OOOOO**_


	9. Ch8: Interviews, oracles and revelations

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 8 "**__**Interviews, oracles and revelations" **_

_**Metropolis. 3**__**rd**__** January, 2021**_

After the scare and with both Lois and the baby completely checked, Clark, now changed into civilian clothes, left Emil's clinic with Lois. Visibly calmer, he checked his watch. "Come on, hon, we'll take a cab and get home."

He got a snort as answer.

"What?"

"Hospital, Smallville. Now." Clark looked back at the building they'd just left in utter confusion. "To interview Isabel, Clark. There's no way she's gonna dodge me on this one. Coming?"

He pondered his possibilities. "Sure. She'll need protection from Mad Dog Lane."

Lois blinked. "That mixture of mawkishness and quirky humor is a little disturbing, did you know that? I do know who you are behind the glasses and the nerd persona."

He chuckled and raised his arm as he saw a taxi approaching. "Come on, Lane, hospital it is."

Lois smiled, satisfied. "What Lois wants, Lois gets."

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower.**_

Chris paced while Chloe and Ollie worked on trying to figure out what had happened.

A scan of a radiography displayed on the screen over an aerial photograph of the square where the shooting had taken place. "The bullet entered close to the proximal humerus and located near the head. Look at the trajectory. It wasn't from a roof, Ollie."

"The square is surrounded with tall buildings, Chloe. Any chance they shot from the inside of one of them?"

"Wouldn't that mean they shot her from a short distance?," asked Chris. "Like from a building with no...building in front of it, I mean."

"It depends on the gun, Chris," explained Chloe. "And the shooter. A first class one could do impossible things."

"But why don't we stay within an approachable framework before crashing our heads on the desk?," proposed Ollie. "Chris' theory seems valid enough, we were actually moving somewhere."

Chloe eyed Ollie. "We're then assuming that Miss Parker was indeed the target."

"You think the bullet was aimed at me?"

"You are a public figure, Ollie, a high-profile target. Maybe they just missed."

"C'mon, Chloe. A professional wouldn't miss the shot." Although this was much, much better than the alternative. "I…Chloe, this bullets aren't something new," he carefully reminded her. Chloe looked at Chris.

"I know," she said quietly.

"I don't really want to open that can of worms, but that woman has a history with him. And Chris has seen those bullets before."

"Ollie, I can't-" She sighed. "I do not want to go down that road."

"Let's just find the shooter, ok? Then we go from there. One step at a time."

"Ok. Let me see." She pointed at the most probable source. "Presuming the shooter was on a mid-close range, I'd say this is the area."

Ollie visualized it and named the buildings. "A gift shop, McLaren's offices and Hotel Steel."

"McLaren has cameras all over the place, plus tight security measures on the entrance."

"Which leaves us the shop and the hotel."

Chloe smiled as she typed a few commands. "Wanna bet our Michael Samuelle is a casual tourist in the city?" As if brought by magic, a list of names appeared on the screen.

"Let me guess. List of the hotel's guests."

"Plus staff. All popping up with a bright and shinny identification name, number and picture."

"But he can fake his id," stated Chris.

"Which takes us to step number two," said Chloe. "Hacking into Mr. Queen's satellite to get a nice aerial view of this morning's event."

"Do you ever ask permission to use them?"

"Do I ever ask permission to use anything?" Ollie rolled his eyes. A batch of images downloaded in a few seconds. "Ok, let's have a look." Chloe opened the files.

"Still, they're all vertical shots, Chloe."

"Ollie, if there's something I've learnt ever since the Torch days, is that you never know what you're going to find, but you should look into it."

"I thought you were going to say to dig out gold from nothing."

"That would be a Lois Lane quote." She smiled. "And we got a prize." She placed a finger close to the screen. "Look."

Ollie squinted his eyes. "Looks like someone taking pictures."

"Yep. And look at the time. A second before Miss Parker got shot."

"But the camera's pointing to the opposite direction," observed Chris.

"Right to the glassy reflecting façade of the Queen tower. Let's see what we can get from here." Chloe zoomed the image onto the photographer. "If we're talking professional, there's a chance the shooter knew the right blind spots and angles from your security external systems, Ollie, so it'll be easier to start with this fellow photographer who has the perfect lens for us."

"Really?"

"Whatever he was shooting was not something close, which means no wide aperture, which means depth of field, which means everything is focused."

"So if the shooter is on this lens' range," said Chris, "there's a big chance the person we're looking for is actually photographed?"

"Let's figure out who that guy is and call J'onn."

"I'm impressed," said Ollie.

Chloe remained silent for a while. The compliment had brought certain memories back. Of the day she had bought him a brand new lens for his birthday and he had spent a whole hour telling her all the things he could do with it. "Dating Jimmy paid off in more ways than one," she said. The memory was warm, and she smiled. That had been Jimmy, warm and a walking smile.

Ollie squeezed her shoulder and gave her a kiss on her temple. "You did a great job, Chloe," he whispered. "He'd be proud of you."

_**OOO**_

Lois stopped before entering the hospital.

"What?"

"You're not serious about coming in with me, are you?"

"I am going to pretend you didn't ask me that question."

"Clark!," she protested.

"Lois, I am not after your story, I know the woman, she trusts me." Lois looked at him. "You're cranky, you might scare her off. She's in a delicate condition."

"A shot on the shoulder is hardly a delicate condition, Smallville. You can ask mine for confirmation." She suddenly flailed her left arm. "See? Perfectly functional. She'll get over it."

"You're not going in alone."

"Fine. But I do ask the questions." Clark followed her, smiling triumphantly. "And I am not cranky, goddamit!" Lois got to the door extending her hand towards the handle. It stopped before it reached target. Lois looked at the resolute big hand blocking its way. Then she turned, meeting a pair of very open very blue eyes and a couple of arched eyebrows that traveled even higher when they met her glare. "Good grief," she muttered rolling her eyes. Then she knocked softly and felt a presence near her right ear.

"Good girl," he whispered.

"Go save the planet or something and let me do my job."

In between Lois' grunt and Clark's chuckle, the handle moved and the door opened.

"Can I help you?" A woman in her late thirties opened the door enough to let her outside, closing it again careful not to make noise. She was Lois' height, with a plump figure, unlike Lois' slender form, were not for her current condition. Her hair was pulled neatly on a ponytail, but Lois could see the blue strands coloring an otherwise black hair, and a very distinctive burn scar decorated the back of her right hand.

Lois grinned and extended her hand. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet. This is Clark. We were looking for Isabel Parker."

The woman smiled. "Oh yes, Is has mentioned you quite a few times. I'm Mary." Mary turned and opened the door, motioning them inside. Isabel was sitting on the bed, unsuccessfully trying to read a book holding it and shoving the pages with one hand.

She seemed very unhappy with the rebellious pages. "_Como no empeceis a pasar en condiciones, aquí va a haber más que palabras_," she muttered.

"I told you I'd help you with that," said Mary.

Isabel was still focused on her mission. "Honey, you'd get the book off my hand and read it to me. That's not helping, that's suggesting I may lack a brain."

"Ooooh I know what you mean," said Lois instantly sympathizing with the woman, who raised her head at the sound of the new voice.

"Lois…"

"What? I can relate."

"Miss Lane." Then she saw Clark and smiled, remembering the journalist who had helped her out of that unwanted encounter with the press and still had helped her contact Queen industries. "Mr. Kent."

"Miss Parker, how are you feeling?"

"Like I was shot on the shoulder. Miss Lane-"

"Lois."

"I still haven't heard anyone saying Isabel, so... How are you feeling?"

"Peachy."

"I got the impression you weren't so peachy out there."

"Oh, just a dizzy spell." She patted her belly. "Baby gets a kick out of bad timing the mother."

Mary talked. "I still didn't thank you for placing her in contact with Oliver Queen himself."

"Oliver's an old friend of the family," said Clark smiling.

"Still, I didn't think she could aim that high."

Lois shrugged. "Ollie is a hands-on manager. He likes to see and know for himself before delegating."

"He was kind enough to come visit," said Isabel. Lois was looking at her smiling and correctly read her. "You do know I am no interview friendly, right?"

Lois seemed to receive the signal all of a sudden. "Oh, nononono, we just came to check how were you doing." Then she prudently let some time pass. A second seemed long enough. "So you didn't see anything?" Clark tried not to shake his head and looked for something fascinating he could study on the floor.

Isabel chuckled. "I already spoke to an officer. Truth is I didn't even notice I had been shot until I was lying on the ground. I'm sorry I can't be of more help, I-" suddenly she winced, and a pair of very protective arms held her before she reacted.

Mary eyed her with concern. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just stretched the wrong muscle," she said caressing her shoulder. "I'm fine."

"You've been shot, you need to redefine your concept of fine."

"It's like getting a mirror of myself," said Lois fascinated by the interaction. "I'm teaming with Mary."

"Why don't you lay down for some time? You think you can do it? Like without dying of boredom?"

"You don't know what you're asking."

Clark started to feel the room was crowded. "Lois, I think it's time we g-" A firm hand grabbed his shirt.

"Stay and listen," she whispered.

Mary kissed her on the forehead. "Mmm? You think you can?," she suggested smiling.

The gesture reciprocated on her girlfriend's face. "What do I get from it?"

Lois frowned completely captivated. "Blackmailing…never thought of that."

"Lois, your picture is under 'bribe' on the dictionary."

"Apparently not enough."

Clark was already blushing. "Lois, they're kissing. In a very private moment kind of kissing."

"And it's working. Look, she's going to lay down. Dammit, if I can't get you off my back at least I should take something from it."

"Like that?"

"Well yeah."

"With all the League too?"

Lois' fist propelled towards his groin. It was the second time this day an intruder hand blocked her. "Cheater."

Clark merely smiled. Mary and a slightly blushing Isabel stopped, suddenly remembering they were not alone. Mary grinned. "Excuse us. Sometimes it's the only way."

"Oh yes," agreed Clark. This time he didn't stop the poke he got from a certain reporter's elbow on his stomach.

"You just get well," said Lois. "Is it ok if we visit again?"

"Of course. See you then."

They walked towards the exit. "So you feel you're not getting enough solicitous attention," said Clark.

"Not the kind I completely don't mind, Smallville," she said as she passed through the door on the street. "So it'd be nice to have y-" before she knew it, she found herself floating with a very warm body enveloping her, carefully avoiding any pressure on her belly and lips silencing her. "How'd you do that?"

He smiled. "Made sure no one was looking."

"So now it's safe to fly."

"I finally have a hang on the safe speed with you and the baby and…" he focused his eyes on her belly and grinned proudly. "Of not waking up the baby."

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower.**_

After a short flight on Earth, Chris returned to the Watchtower and entered Oracle's quarters, a new room Ollie had prepared once the former Oracle had accepted to join the League. It had private access, but only Ollie and Chloe knew the code, so he used the common transportation. Chloe was as he had left her three hours ago: in front of the computer, but…arguing?

"Oh, c'mon, Bruce!"

Chris prudently waited by the wall.

"No….No, you listen to me! J'onn was needed here and-…Darn it, Bruce. Yes, Tess and now the shooting." Chloe noticed the presence and motioned Chris to approach and sit.

He did so and opened the paper bag. "Your favorites," he mouthed, dragging a grin from Chloe.

"Just tell me who you need and I'll ask the other…Ok. See you then. I have something, I'll call you back." Chloe looked at the incoming message. "J'onn, you're a jewel." Taking a muffin from the bag she started to open the images. "God, I'm gonna have to move to the gym after this," she said looking at the cake.

"You already have the pictures taken by that John Doe?"

"Not a Doe anymore." She smiled. "The police called him as witness and asked him to bring the pictures as evidence." She saw the files. "Ooooh thank goodness he shots in RAW." Chloe picked a picture and zoomed without loosing quality.

"Wow."

"This just may be our lucky day, Chris. Look at this."

"You were right!"

There it was. A reflection on a window. Only a few things visible. The barrel, a hand on the trigger, and half a face. "Looks like our hit man is a she."

_**OOOOO**_

_**Notes: **__"Wanna bet our Michael Samuelle is a casual tourist in the city?" _In case you never watched _La Femme Nikita _(1997-2001), Michael Samuelle was a high profile operative and Nikita's love.

Yep, it's where half of my nickname comes from.

Isabel: "_Como no empeceis a pasar en condiciones aquí va a haber más que palabras_" _Either you start flipping properly or we're gonna have more than words here_.


	10. Chapter 09: More connections than wanted

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Note**: sorry for the delay in updating. Been sick.

_**Chapter 9 **__** "More connections than wanted" **_

_**Metropolis. 7**__**th**__** January, 2021**_

"Sweetie, it is not our fault that the world went bananas without a warning. It tends to do that," said Chloe trying to make Chris understand how sometimes, things were just unfair and unavoidable. A sudden JLA mission had taken them from further search of the shooter for a few days and he was nervous and worried.

"I know," he admitted. "I just think it's unfair."

"You're not the only one, but…"

"Sorry I'm pouting like a baby."

"Don't apologize for that, sweetie. You're in your right to do that."

But he felt he wasn't. So he decided to change the subject into grown-up stuff. Like the mission Chloe had been monitoring. "Dinah and Diana still out there?"

"Yes. One would say they're even having fun," she commented smiling. "They work well together, complement each other. Besides Huntress, Diana is one of Dinah's favorite partners."

"Is there anyone who doesn't like Diana?" It was really a rhetorical question, he didn't expect an answer, much less _that_ answer.

"Lois." The name fell off Chloe's mouth before she could prevent it. _Darn it._

"Oh."

"I mean, er…" Chloe tried to think fast, for a millisecond there missing those Brainiac's induced capacities that had almost terminated her memory. "But just on a joking level," she finally managed to say, with a nervous smile.

"Like when Mom calls her 'freaking immortal perfect amazon'?"

Chloe tried not to choke on the tea. "Yeah. That kind of joking." Then she coughed twice. Chris bore a strange merge of mature insight and devastating innocence. Each passing day he reminded her more of Lois. _Lois_. She sighed tiredly. "God I miss Lois' banter."

"Why don't you give it a rest and come have dinner with us tonight?," he suggested. "We miss you too."

He was so adorable. Chloe understood why Lois called him her weak spot for mushiness. "I'd love to, Chris, but now things have calmed down a little, I should have some extra time to process the picture of our mystery hired gun and keep looking for Tess, and trying to figure out who's the head behind the curt-" She stopped at the feel of a hand on her shoulder.

"Can't the computer do the work on its own now that you only have to do that? I mean, you have to run programs but then you can leave the computer working, right?"

"Technically yes."

"So you don't really have to sit here all the time, right? If it found something it would send you a signal?," he suggested.

"Time-management is not among my skills, honey," she said. "My mind would still be here, and I'd be stressing everybody because I should be on this chair trying to do something."

Chris didn't look convinced. In his sweet way. "Like looking at the screen in case you scare it and make it go faster?"

Chloe had to concede him victory. "Yeah. Something stupid like that."

"It's not stupid, it's…"

"I just wish this could be over, sweetie. Find out who's behind this, find Tess." She shared a significant look with Chris that spoke more than any could say in words. And he ended it for her.

"Put an end to all." Chloe nodded. "Aunt Chloe…do you think it's all connected? The bullets? Tess?"

_Yes_. "That's a possibility we have to take into consideration."

"I think it is. Connected, that is."

_And I wish you were really far away from all this, Chris. You and Lois. _Chloe swallowed. Silence was sometimes the most significant answer.

"I'll call mom. Reschedule the dinner."

"What? No, Chris. You go have fun with Lo."

"But you shouldn't do this alone."

"Chris, honey. This is my job. To find the bad guys so the rest can do theirs. I have to do it. And don't worry, I won't be alone. A Bird of Prey is coming," she checked the watch. "Any minute now."

"I thought Dinah was still out with Wonder Woman."

"Not Dinah."

_**OOO**_

She entered the code Oracle had given her. It felt weird, but she had been right, it was time to meet. The door welcomed her into an eerie familiar environment. It brought memories, but with unfamiliar faces. Different but not unknown. A woman in her thirties sat on a chair. By her side, the young kryptonian.

_So this is the new Oracle. _The side of her eye caught sight of a wheelchair bringing a chill. The prosthesis she saw when the woman rose from her chair explained it. Irony be damned.

"Miss Bertinelli," she said. The woman had one of the sweetest voices she'd ever heard. It matched her face too. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Chloe Sullivan."

_**OOO**_

"It's moving."

"I know."

Clark took her hand and placed it on one of her sides. His eyes sparkling, fixed on the belly. "Left hand, uh…" he eyed her with a goofy smile. "Heads or tails today?" Then he went back to his task of tracing with Lois' hand the inner movement she was feeling while she laid down, naked, as he was, on their bed.

"Heads."

"Left hand. She is stretching her arm."

"So I guess the poking there is the foot." Lois showed with her free hand and winced slightly.

"Hurts?"

"Not really."

"You winced."

"I was caught unaware."

"It hurt."

"It was a flinch. Involuntary. A reflex."

"A really hard kick from a half kryptonian baby who gets strength from the sun. We're seeing Emil," he decided as he placed his hand on the spot where she had felt the kick as if to lessen the inner kick.

"Clark, it's an active baby, that's all."

"Lois, it's a little more than that. It could be she already has developed super strength. What if she has my vision powers too?" He was too scared to reason now.

"Clark, you didn't get those until very late, and half this baby is human. If we get to that bridge, we'll cross it, ok?"

"When you have an open gash made by two red beams of red light coming from inside your womb?"

"Thanks for the visual."

"I'm not joking."

Lois knew there was no point in arguing. "Ok. Fine. You go to talk to Emil, and only then, if he says I should really be monitored closely than I already am, only if, and mark my words, Smallville, I will go to see Emil outside the regular visits schedule. And this discussion is over." He was looking at her stomach. "Deal?"

"Yes."

"Great. Now can we get back to some cuddling before dinner? I hardly saw my man these past days."

Clark smiled and cuddled with her. "I'll see what I can do."

_**OOO**_

The woman entered the office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"There has been no word regarding the shooting. Seems you did a good job."

"Thank you sir."

"The situation with Miss Parker?"

"Contained."

The man studied her, his face turning into an angry frown as his eyes fixed on her hand. "Miss Brooke, you were paid a substantial sum for surgery after the incident."

She shifted uncomfortably. "You did, sir."

"Then why do you still have the scar on your hand?"

"I…"

"Distinctive features make you easily detected."

"I will fix it, sir." She bowed her head. "Is there anything else?" and turned to leave.

"One thing."

She waited and swallowed.

"Get rid of those blue strands too."

"Yes, Mr. Luthor."

Knowing it was already too late to go back the road she'd entered, paved with gold that now she saw how stained it was, Mary turned and left the office.

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **Don't ask me why, but the banterish conversation with Lois and Clark was written with **The Who**'s "_Squeeze box_" playing in the background.


	11. Chapter 10: Feet on the trap

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Sex.

**Notes:**

_**Chapter 10 **__** "Feet on the trap" **_

_**Gotham City. 11**__**th**__** January, 2021**_

Dick had always been fond of Dinah, and ever since she'd become Babs' best friend, she'd grown on him. Granted he knew her majorly through Babs' eyes, but when they both found themselves sharing the loss, becoming closer friends was just the natural course to follow. Now they met almost every week to spend some time together; to talk, to remember, to enjoy.

It had started as a sort of comfort, being the two people that shared the most with Barbara, but before they knew it, they realized they had become good friends.

"So, you're finally moving to Metropolis?"

Dinah nodded. "For a couple of months. I still like Star City too much to change indefinitely."

"Personal or professional reasons?"

_Dammit_. Dinah wasn't sure if Dick knew or didn't about Superman's secret identity. Before answering, she made a mental note to ask Chloe about that. She trusted Dick a hundred and twenty percent with secrets, but this one wasn't hers to share with whomever she felt like. "Both," she finally said. "You know Lois Lane, the reporter."

"Everyone knows Lois Lane, Dinah. And she's Chloe's cousin."

_Perhaps he knows. He's been raised by Bruce, after all, wouldn't surprise me he found out on his own. Babs did__. And now he only really has to connect a few dots_. "Precisely. She's expecting, and Chloe will never say, but she's a bit nervous about that. Lois seems to have an uncanny ability to find herself in trouble."

"So you're going to Metropolis to keep an eye on her? She's got a reputation, won't she be pissed?"

"Like you wouldn't believe, honey," she said chuckling. "So, my back's better, when are we rescheduling that sparring session?"

"After I call Ollie and he confirms you're really ok." The elbow traveled to his ribs too fast to be able to stop it. "Ouch. That hurt, you know."

"Serves you right."

"Give me a break here, Dinah, I'm caught between you two and I don't really want to mess up with your back."

"As if I'd let you reach there," she teased. "So you get ready yourself and call me. Oracle had no impending mission for me, so I'm free this week unless the world states otherwise."

"Speaking of Chloe," he said. Then his tone turned slightly lower. Softer. "Helena told me she finally met her."

The change didn't escape Dinah's ears. "Some kind of assignment, I think." She turned her head. Dick was indeed pensive. "Neither of them told me what was it about, but it didn't seem something grave."

"We're all avoiding grave these days, I guess," he said with a melancholic smile. Then, he pursed his lips slightly. "I thought maybe it had to do with you guys bringing the Birds back."

"Oh." So that was it. "Dick, I-"

"I think it would be a good idea." He felt Dina's round eyes on him and he returned the look albeit a sad smile on his face. "You guys made great things together. And in a way, you came back the night you got Shiva. So I thought…"

Words were unspoken but the message understood. "That night felt right. And I thought about it too."

Dick read her correctly. "But you have doubts."

Dinah nodded. "I'm not sure I want to be back there. I like the idea, in a way. At least of getting us together. But it also feels bittersweet, and I don't really feel like having those emotions while on a job." She paused to gather her thoughts. "Chloe is great, I love her a big deal. I've known her since before Babs and I trust her as Oracle with my life. But the Birds were me and Barbara. Then Helena, Zinda. It eventually became huge, with its ups and downs. But Babs was the alma mater of the team."

Dick placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have you talked to Chloe about this? She'll understand."

"I know. If Helena says something, if Zinda says something, or if Chloe raises the subject I'll speak. I'll think about it. But I won't sever any possibility before an actual idea is born." Dinah replayed her words in her mind. Yes, it sounded right. "But if it's said and the girls agree…"

Dick smiled. "You'll be in."

_Yes. Completely in_. "Kicking ass and taking names." Maybe when Chloe's current concerns, and Lois, and everything was over, they would really talk about it. But first things came first.

_**OOO**_

After the morning argument she'd had with Perry regarding the suspicious decrease on work amount she was having lately, Lois had decided she would work on the hospital story and left a not to herself to call Scott later. After making Chloe swear she would give her something the moment she had information on the shooter, she had calmed down a little about the possibility of having everybody hovering around with fake smiles and zipped mouths, not telling her what was going on. Twelve years of secrets had been enough, and she made that perfectly clear. And loud too. Reading her first notes on the Transplant Coordination Department story, she absently picked up the phone on her desk. "Lane."

"Busy working, I see."

She recognized the voice. It wasn't the first time someone called her at the paper and she picked up the phone without checking the ID. "Hey, Ollie. Working on a story so I can work on something. What's up?"

"Thought I could give you something to keep working on."

"Work related?"

"I met with Miss Parker again and she gave me a quite complete report on her research. Thought you might wanna have a look. Maybe even find a story?"

"I'm game. Do you want to meet for lunch? I think Clark's busy." His desk was empty. Bank robbery with hostages somewhere in Massachusets. And then, probably, something else.

"Actually I'm at the Planet's door, so if you're not that busy…"

"All the ladies and a couple of guys will be very happy to see you."

"You're a terror, Lane."

"I'm not the hot guy about to cause a hormonal revolt up here."

"What about Clark?"

"Glasses and hairdo make miracles. He's an adorable not single dork."

"I am not-single too, you know."

"Heh. Good one, Queen. If Dinah was here, all the paper would die happy, not just half of it. You think they care about your marital status?" The phone clicked, and Lois saw the lift's door open. Grinning, she waited as the handsome man walked towards her, trying to keep a straight face at the fact that Lois was right. Half a set of male and female heads had turned the moment he walked in and would not stop following him. By the time he sat, his blushing had reached an embarrassing reddish shade. Lois tried to muffle a snort. "Told you."

_**OOO**_

The computer had been working all night. Chloe had gotten the face of the shooter rather quickly once she could really work on it, no other missions interfering. It was a woman in her thirties, robust, dark hair and brown eyes. As she had suspected, she'd checked in the hotel and stayed just two nights. Her passport identified her as Norah Giles, but Chloe had good reasons to think that was fake. A run of her face matching government files was being done at the moment. Supposing she was from the USA. She had Caucasian traits, so if she didn't get a match she had a list of the most probable countries of origin. And then, the rest. She was also running a research on all possible incidents and medical cases of severe burns treated during the last two years.

It was a long shot, but she wanted to have every possible path covered.

For once she was lucky. A name came up with the woman's face. Never tagged, no antecedents. Nothing. She was clean.

"Go figure." She pressed a few keys. "Let's see where can we find you, Mary Brooke."

_**OOO**_

She closed her eyes to feel her naked body as she leaned down on her, ridden by the need to taste every inch of the form already making an exploration of her own below her waist.

Mary usually closed her eyes when she made love. Whatever people thought, the faces of your partner when you were having sex were never that sexy or alluring. Sounds and touch were much better. And if you took one sense out of the equation, the others enlarged, a lesson learned through years of practice with huge success on bed territory. Mary made love with her lips, her tongue and her hands, as she was doing now with Isabel.

Wetting her tongue, she started working on the spot behind her earlobe, teasing the area while keeping Isabel's hands off her body, all her weigh on hers, matching body lengths so their groins were in contact.

Once she felt satisfied with her work behind one ear, she changed sides and went for the neck. Isabel's hands tamed, she freed hers to meet her lover's belly and back, gently pressing the body against hers. Isabel opened her legs.

"Tsk. Not yet," she admonished playfully.

"You're making it awfully difficult," said Isabel as she started drawing circles on her buttocks, making her partner snort. "What? I'm kinda ready down here, you know."

"So what? No fluffer then?"

"Mary!"

"What? Don't tell me I'm killing the moment, cause sure I ain't the one cutting foreplay." Telephone rang. "Ok, now I am," she said faking defeat. Isabel snorted and gave her a kiss.

"Take it, I don't think they'll stop calling." She felt Mary move. "But you can tell them you were in the middle of something really important."

"Important, huh?" Smiling, Mary spared a second to lean down on Isabel and kiss her. She really wanted to ignore the phone, her body already responding to her lover with alarming speed. "Oooh, fuckit. Better take it before I-" She grunted. Isabel was really, really good with her tongue. Leaving her lover sporting a satisfied grin, Mary finally moved to grab the cell, left on the pocket of the trousers she'd thrown on the floor while undressing herself and Isabel. Before running off the bed, she kissed her lover. "Behave." Then she took the phone. "Yep?"

"You make me wait once more on the phone, you are in trouble, Miss Brooke."

Blood drew from Mary's face at the sound of her caller's voice. "Apologies," she said in a whisper, sounding as pathetically as she didn't want to sound. Gathering herself, she tried to fake a smile for Isabel and mouthed her it was a call from work and got out of the bedroom. "It won't happen again."

"For your own good." Mary swallowed. "Containment to be expected tomorrow."

She thought her heart had stopped beating. "T—tomorrow?"

"You have twenty four hours to bring her in. Is that clear?"

"It…" a tear escaped her eye. She crumbled inside.

"Miss Brooke, perhaps you would like to take her place?"

"It will be done, Mr. Luthor." Mary hung up and let the cell fall on the floor with a thump. She heard Isabel's voice responding to the sound.

"Hon, is everything alright?"

Mary composed herself as fast as she could. "Yeah, Is, don't worry." Once she made sure she could keep a smile on her face, she walked back into their bed, kissing softly the hand that caressed her face.

"You sure you're ok? Honey, you've been having pretty hectic hours at work lately, and now calls. Are you having trouble at work?"

Isabel never, ever made reproaches. She just stated the obvious, and never with bad intention. She just wanted to know, or understand, and thus she asked. She hated ambiguities too. "No, it's…" All her insides were in knots. "Don't worry about it."

A pair of eyes full of love looked back at her, serious and intense. "I do worry. I hate to see you sad." Isabel caressed her face. "Mary, why don't you leave that job? Hon, we have a good source of income and money saved. You're exhausted, give yourself a break. Leave the job." She kissed her. Mary didn't react. Her dreamed life had been before her all this time and now she was going to throw it all away and crush it because it was a mission.

"I love you." The words stung, and the face before her smiled at them. She didn't know. Didn't know how much it hurt that she had just said the biggest truth. That she loved her. Defeated, Mary leaned down and sought comfort on the naked body beside her.

Isabel was ticklish in the weirdest places and Mary had all of them memorized. Lacked a taste in music and always found something interesting in every little thing. Mary had learned the most unbelievable things with her. And now she was going to bring her into a world from which she would never return.

Mary loved the way Isabel caressed her hair, her chin, her belly. The way she made love to her, slowly, taking her time with every favorite spot of hers. Her kisses, sometimes tender, others passionate. And now Lex Luthor claimed her, and Mary could do nothing to prevent it.

Gently, she brought Isabel's face to her and kissed her in the lips, then in the forehead.

"Honey." Isabel looked with concerned eyes.

"I'm a little tired, that's all. Sleep?"

"Come." Even smaller than her, Isabel was very protective, and for one last time, Mary curled against her in a vain attempt to seek the comfort she so unexpectedly found on a person she should've never fallen in love with.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Notes: **_Scott appears in Knall.

_**Music: **_Mary's thoughts at the end. **Yann Tiersen "**_**L'après-midi**_**"**


	12. Chapter 11: Time to start trusting

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 11 "**__**Time to start trusting" **_

_**Metropolis, Lane-Kent apartment. 17**__**th**__** March, 2021**_

"JesusMaryJoseph, Smallville, you are a God. Period."

Despite his concern, Clark couldn't help but smile as he massaged the aching muscles on Lois' lower back. She was resting on her side and apparently not moving until he decided to stop. Which would be when it stopped hurting. So. "Still hurting?" There was a silence before she answered. Lois considering an answer was never a good thing.

"Comes in waves."

There.

Lois had been increasingly wincing from pains on her back. Now, at her seventh month of pregnancy, carrying the baby was getting a toll on her, and she had given up concealing the pain some weeks ago. "The cushion on your chair doesn't work anymore, does it?"

"You do spy me at work, don't you?"

"Hon, we work together, I don't have to spy, only raise my head. And you wince. A lot."

"Urgh," she protested.

"Perhaps if you let me have a look-"

The answer came out automatically. "No."

Sometimes, Lois not pausing before answering wasn't good either. At least not for his interests.

"Lois, honey…"

Muffling a grunt, Lois used the elbow she'd propped herself on to turn her huge body and face him. "Clark, I've been seven months being looked at regularly, I feel like a lab rat, so when I'm with you I'd like to feel I am with you, not with a doctor looking at my health instead of at my boobs."

Clark braced himself. It looked like a hormon—

"Are my boobs ugly now?"

Bullseye. He sighed quietly and let the hormones do their thing while he comforted the owner of the body they wanted to take over.

"Oh, Clark, I'm so ugly that you'd rather look at my insides, and-"

"Shh." He stroke her arms. "Lois, honey, you are beautiful." It wasn't as if he had to lie. "You are so incredibly stunning that…" Indeed, all he had to do was tell the truth. "You've got me mesmerized, you know." He smiled. And seemed to tame the mood swing.

Only the truth.

Lois sniffled. "Really?"

"Only thing I want to do is be here with you, basking in each other." He kissed her. "I hate seeing you hurt, Lois."

And nothing but the truth.

"Oh, honey."

Crisis contained. "So if you let me-"

"Ha. Nice try, Smallville. No peeking on my back." She changed her seriousness for a grin. "But sweet-talk me as long as you want."

He chuckled. He didn't want to, he told himself he should be acting serious, Superman serious. And failed epically. Looking into that face, it was impossible not to chuckle. Give her a few seconds more and he'd probably end up apologizing. "Hon, I could help more if-"

"No peeking," she warned. "You promise."

"You know I'd never look unless you'd let me or were unconscious in a life or death situation." Pause. Puppy eyes. "So can I?"

"No."

He insisted one last time. "I might be able to assess-"

"Smallville, I'm carrying a seven month old fetus who doesn't seem to be very comfortable inside my body, nothing more. And I do have an appointment with Emil today which, by the way, I hope you haven't forgotten."

He gave up. "I'll be there right after checking out if I'm further needed in New Jersey." He leaned on to kiss her.

"Hon."

"Mmm?"

"Despite all my bitching around…Would you mind extending your backrubs a little longer? Pain came back."

"Is the baby pressing on your back?" He saw her wince a little, and decided with the pain, best he could do was just try to help abiding, not causing a revolt by insisting on examining her. For now. "Don't move. I'll hover." Doing so, he rested behind her and started to rub the offended area. "You're tense. Baby pressing there, you think?"

"At this point, you could tell me the baby was doing backflips and I'd believe you."

"That bad, huh?"

Lois ignored the question and turned to her belly. "So if you happen to be uncomfortable in there, young rascal, I do expect you to respect the due date to the letter. Do not, I repeat, do not, under any circumstances, take after your mother on this one by turning deaf on orders."

He smiled absently as he focused on his duty, and didn't even notice his thoughts made it to the tongue. "So, when will you take leave?"

"I will act as if you didn't say it."

Well, not that he had intended to do so, but now that the thought was out…"Lois…"

"No. There are two things I have decided, Smallville. One: this baby shall be born in due, human, time." Then she looked at her expanded belly. "Two: I will not take maternity leave until it pops out." And back at Clark. "And you're late. Weren't you supposed to go flying with Chris before heading East?"

"He's outside, waiting."

Lois turned her head and eyed him in question while Clark merely raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Oh." And then she reacted. "He's peeking? Clark!"

"He's not."

"So what? You're telepathic now?"

"You were wincing in your sleep. I sent him a message to wait outside."

She snorted. "Heh. Superman and the new Young Justice hero texting. Do you guys email each other too?"

He nodded solemnly. "Oracle has set up a social network. It's like a twitter for heroes." She blinked, and before she could respond, he silenced her with a kiss. "But you're right, I'll go." He stole another kissed. "I love you."

"Love you too."

_**OOO**_

_**The sky.**_

Chris waited impatiently until he saw the red and blue blur approaching. "Is she alright?"

"Back ache, nothing to worry." Clark was preoccupied, but he had soon discovered all his protection instincts set off whenever Chris was around. Chris had a tendency to worry about everything concerning family, especially Lois, and right now, he considered he needed his focus on the Young Justice, at least until he regained some balance in his life. "Come on, let's fly and you can tell me about your week."

Chris followed Clark smiling. "I made a save yesterday," he said.

Clark's mouth mimicked his son's. "Ollie told me. I'm proud of you, Chris."

The kid grinned. "Joining them was a good decision, Dad. I'm glad you all encouraged me."

"It'll do you good, it gives you space as your own hero, different guidance. And I trust you, Chris. I know you will do great."

Clark kept flying, but noticed he was alone. Stopping mid-air he turned. "Chris?" Some feet behind he saw him floating. He went back. "Son, what's wrong?"

Chris seemed to react and returned Clark his look. With wide open eyes. "I…I'm sorry, Dad, I…wow."

"Wow what, what happened?"

"You trust me?" He asked almost afraid to have not heard right.

"Chris, son, of course I do."

"It's…" He forced himself to stop and take a breath. Then he found the words. "Your trust is very important for me, Dad."

Clark realized then that he could not leave him out of this, of his life. That the protection he wanted to give him was not just sheltering him from all evil. And inside, he made a change. "It works both ways, son. And that's why I want to ask you a favor."

It sounded so logic when Dad said it, he willed himself to believe it. His dad trusted him and was going to ask him a favor. "Tell me."

"Would you help keeping an eye on Lois? From a safe distance?"

Chris snorted. "Dad, I value my life, you know. Mom would kick my b- Of course I will."

Clark only had to take a look at the grin decorating Chris' face to know he had made the right decision. No more shelter than necessary.

_**OOO**_

_**New Jersey**_

"Arrow, I can stay if Superman is needed elsewhere," said Donna.

Ollie was checking status with Oracle. "He's coming, Troia, leave for your meeting."

"Besides, I'm still here," said Dinah. "No longer injured and in the mission too," she reminded then.

Donna chuckled. "Will you call if I'm needed?"

"Yes, don't worry."

Donna left. "Geez, Ollie, stop protecting me."

"I'm not. If you had spent a minute like I asked you to reading the profile, you'd know Oracle designed it to have a flying member. So unless you've grown a pair of wings or you're really good keeping secrets-"

"Ok, I get it. We'll wait for the flying man." And so they stood, staring upwards. "Any news lately on the League?"

"Vic made a petition for an extension of his stay with the Titans."

"I heard."

"Should I approve it? Chloe could use another hand."

"Chloe will verbally kick your ass if you suggest she needs help, Ollie. And from what I heard, Vic has good reasons to. Like very."

"Mmm. Does he?"

"Sarah something? S.T.A.R. labs?"

"I see."

"Can you blame him?"

"Blame Vic? Heck, birdie, if Babs had allowed men on the Birds I would've been the first to send in my resume. Just to be with you, of course."

"Yeah. Probably you and Bruce were main reasons for keeping the Birds 'chicks-only'. You're both a pain, in your own styles."

"Who's a pain?"

Both turned, seeing a smiling Superman right behind them.

"You're late," said Ollie, not revealing whether he was joking or serious.

"Sorry. Had to take a little detour."

"Detour being…"

"Earthquake in New Zealand. I went there to check there were no casualties."

"Were there?"

"No. Material damages, but nothing serious. Still, see if we can organize a small group to go there and help like we did back in 2010..."

"That'd be a good idea."

"Actually I was thinking in sending in the Young Justice."

Ollie pondered, soon nodding in agreement. "That experience could actually be good for the kids. And I want you around in case Chloe needs us."

"Chloe doesn't want me or Lois close to that case," said Clark. "Under threat of hidden blue kryptonite at home."

"I'd say she's worse than us," said Ollie.

A beep sounded. "Speaking of…" Clark took the transmitter. "Hey, Chloe. Something wrong?"

"Not unless you tell me you're done in New Jersey."

"Done? I haven't even started."

"Oh dear."

"What do you mean by that?" There was a loud silence at the other end of the line. "Chloe?"

The voice wasn't Chloe's anymore. "You'd better tell me you were just joking, Smallville."

Clark winced in reflex. "Lois, I—there was an earthquake and…"

"Yeah, I heard about Wellington. News reported only material damages, not giving you excuses to fly over the Remarkables and giggle to yourself while you thought of Gandalf." Ollie snorted and Dinah tried to hide her laugh to no avail. Clark swore he could hear Chloe snorting too. "Are you using the mission's channel?" The laughs increased. "Chloe!"

"Don't Chloe her, Smallville. She's the one coming to the appointment with me. Have fun with your band of merry men."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Ament 1407**_

"I'm…coming?"

Lois was presenting her the car keys. "They can manage without you for a minute, right?"

"Not really."

"Oh yes they will. Come on.

"Lois!"

She rolled her eyes exasperated. "Ok, ok, take your laptop if you must. It's not as if we're going to a regular hospital after all." She eyed her. Chloe was standing in front of her. Unconvinced. Lois had forgotten her feisty techniques didn't work that well with her cousin. Not anymore anyway. "Oh, come on, Chlo," she said patting her belly and pulling her best puppy eyes. "Take sometime to share this? A little cousin quality time? I miss you."

Chloe smiled brightly, satisfied to get what she wanted. "That I could do." She saw Lois flinching slightly and remembered what Chris told her that morning before going out with Clark. "But I drive."

Lois studied the situation, and another kick on her back helped her making a decision. "Fine."

"And give me a sec, I need to check a couple of things that I ought to take with me." She opened her laptop and gave Lois a look her cousin knew all too well. "Why don't you go sit at the coach? You'll be comfortable. Promise it won't take me but a minute."

"Not moving. At some point I'm going to have to know how's the research going."

"And you will. But-"

"No buts, Chloe. I've let you withhold information because I do not want to intrude in your job, but this is getting stupid. It's not as if I'm going to do anything right now. C'mon, all I know is that you identified the shooter and you were searching for him."

"Her." Chloe finally surrendered. "It's a woman." She pressed a key and a picture appeared on the laptop. "It's like she disappeared from the face of the earth, we haven't been able to track her." Chloe didn't notice her cousin's silence until she saw her face. Eyes open wide with an unreadable expression that sprang an instant concern on Chloe. "Lo? Honey, are you ok?" She went to support her cousin, checking if there was something wrong. She noticed she was tense, and her face had turned into an angry expression that remained when her hazel eyes turned to her.

"She goes by Mary Brooke."

"Yeah, that's—wait, I didn't tell you her name."

"No, you didn't." Her tone very serious.

"Then why…?"

"Because if for once you and the rest of the freaking League had just ignored for a minute your stupid idea that I might break and got to understand that I am pregnant and you'd let Clark in the investigation despite the kryptonite bullets, you would've gotten to this woman long ago, Chloe! And now it might be too late." She closed the laptop with a thump.

"Lois, what-?"

"We know this woman, Chloe. Clark and I know her."

_**OOOOO**_

_**Notes: **_while this geek/dork!Clark might be slightly out of character, I wanted to give a nod to any kiwi reader around, hoping everyone at Christchurch was/is well (this chapter's first draft was written a day after the earthquake from September 2010–).


	13. Chapter 12: Picture in a frame

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **torture, language.

**Notes: **Not the funniest installment of the fic. Vulgarly speaking, shit gets real.

_**Chapter 12**__** "Picture in a frame" **_

_**Metropolis. 17**__**th**__** March, 2021**_

"Yeah. Go figure, Chloe. We could've helped you."

The words hit her hard, but still she defended her decisions as Oracle. If under normal circumstances they were logical, they still had to have some sense when she was slapped in the face with them. "There was no way I could've known." And she was right about that. Still, Lois had a point, and she would not accept her reasoning as an explanation, even less when Chloe knew Lois was beyond the listening point. She was mad, and with a good reason backing her.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Chloe! If you or Ollie had told us about this-"

Chloe ordered her thoughts and tried to reason. "If we had told you what, Lois?," she asked. "Look, I understand your anger and I'm pretty upset with myself right now too, but this doesn't change the fact that mixing our jobs and our lives is a bad idea, and like it or not, I can't, and won't, give you daily reports on my Oracle life just for the slight chance that maybe by pure sheer luck, you might be able to help."

"Maybe you should."

"No way." Chloe's tone was definite now. She'd decided she'd stick to her decisions and defend them.

"Chloe, I have sources, some that a scary looking green mask on a screen can't reach," she said with a very valid point.

Chloe's was real too. "And the ability to attract trouble." Her eyes traveled unconsciously to Lois' midsection. "I didn't come back to be the one to put you on the line on fire, least of all now."

Lois sighed. "I thought we were long past that, Chloe."

"So did I, Lois," she replied honestly. "And we love each other, and we protect each other, that I get. But you have your job and I have mine."

"But sometimes your mistakes can cost lives," said Lois trying to reason.

Chloe's jaw tensed. She didn't know if that was a reproach, an accusation or a plain statement of fact. Nor she wanted to be clarified, because all three options were arguably right. "Let's go, I don't want you to be late."

"No, you don't go and ignore me, Chloe you-"

"No!" Her reaction caught Lois unaware, and Chloe took the chance, lowering her voice. "I'm not arguing with you about this. We do our jobs, we do our best and sometimes we make mistakes." She looked at her. "Sometimes we do. But don't ask me to put you on the line of fire, Lo, because I won't. There was a silence. Chloe was on the verge of tears. "Please don't ask me that," she whispered.

Lois hadn't realized the tension and concern on her cousin. She'd just shrugged off the person who had sacrificed everything in order to protect her, as if that was something that could be swept out of the window with a few words and a box full of vinyls. _Please, don't ask me that_. And she had not asked, but demanded. Demanded. As if Chloe had to tame her emotions because Lois Lane said so. Lois extended her arm and brought her cousin as close as she could, placing a kiss on her forehead and setting all her logic and rage on the back of her mind. "I won't. I won't ask you again, I promise."

Chloe blinked. "You will." She felt a slight shake on Lois' body as her cousin chuckled.

"Not while pregnant." Baby kicked as if approving.

Chloe felt the pressure coming from the inside of Lois' belly and smiled. "Are you calling a truce?"

"Are you sending someone to Isabel's apartment?"

"As soon as we get to Emil's." She felt the pressure again and giggled at the timing. "I guess we should get going," she finally said. "Hugging you now is a little awkward, not to mention uncomfortable."

Lois took a second to get to the full meaning of Chloe's words. Then she chuckled. There was a huge belly standing in the middle and neither was in a comfortable position. For a few moments, she stopped thinking about their argument. "This baby is ridiculously big."

Uh oh. "No it's not," she hurried to say before hormones exploded in her face.

"Ok, it's not. But you have no idea how much in the way it-"

"I don't really want to know. Hey, you're active today!" She separated and smiling she placed a hand where she had felt the movement.

"Yeah, hey. Ouch." She took her hand to the back in a feeble attempt to ease the pain.

"Are you telling Emil about your backache?"

"Of course I am, this baby has gotten a nasty habit of pressing there and I want it to stop."

"And maternity leave?"

"When I give birth."

"Not before?"

"Mark my words, Chloe, there is no way this reporter is going to leave her work before she stops being an incubator."

_**OOO**_

"You start your leave next week."

Chloe tried, really tried not to chuckle. Even bit her lower lip.

"You are kidding, right?"

"Lois, the pain you're getting on your back is not the baby pressing. You have a small discal hernia."

"Now?"

"It was already there, but due to the extra weigh you're carrying, your body is suffering it more. You're sure you never noticed pains before?"

"Well, yes, but nothing serious." Chloe rolled her eyes. "And that's enough reason to sign me a maternity leave?"

"It's going to get worse."

"Great."

"Didn't Clark notice?"

"I…don't let him look."

Chloe threw her arms on the air. "And you complain about us concealing information."

"Oh, let's not get started on this one, we ended it rather nicely."

"Depending on where it is, it can affect the epidural."

"Its effects?"

"Its application or not."

"And the day just keeps getting better."

_**OOO**_

Chris heard Lois muttering words against the world and the universe too from outside the apartment. As much as he dared to listen, he guessed she had already been swearing before stepping outside the car. He would've laughed if that rant hadn't been accompanied by a slightly awkward rhythm of her feet, exposing a slower and heavier than usual pace and silence from aunt Chloe, who normally laughed at Mom's rants. Mom didn't wobble. Mom didn't accuse the weigh of the baby when she walked. He couldn't help it, but the first thing Lois saw when she entered home with Chloe was worry all over his face. She rolled her eyes.

Chris hated making his mom roll her eyes at him.

"Is everything ok?," he asked tentatively.

"Yes, Chris, the baby is fine. My back, however, had other plans."

Chris pondered in between keep talking to Lois or turning to Chloe, who was probably sporting that sympathetic look since Dr. Hamilton gave them whatever news had his mom wanting to blow up something. Lois answered for him.

"Hernia on back, sweetie," she said as she tiredly ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head. "Feel yourselves at home, I'm going to be miserable for a while on my sofa."

Chloe gave her a kiss and Lois left the room. "Why is she so down? Is it bad?"

"She's been ordered to take immediate maternal leave." Chloe sat and opened the laptop to check on the team. Mission had gone smoothly and Ollie and Dinah were heading back to Metropolis. Time to let Ollie know about this Mary Brooke and wait for news on Miss Parker from Bart.

"You're tense."

Chloe raised her eyes. Chris was confirming, not asking. "I found something."

"On Miss Mercer?"

"No. On the shooter."

"That is good news, right?"

Perhaps. If they were not too late. Chloe smiled at Chris and took the phone. She really needed to get to Ollie. Then a sudden signal alerted her. More than she expected. "Oh God. "

"What? Is that a good 'Oh God' or a bad one?" All Chris could see was a red signal reading _Facility active. Location in process._ A knot left him silent.

_**OOO**_

Lex stood before the door and closed his eyes, for a moment, letting the nausea pass and allowing a smile of victory reach him while he took a slow, deep breath. Calmly, he extended his hand and opened the door. The stench that hit his nostrils made him wince in disgust. A strong putrid smell of dried vomit and decomposed… Even wearing black, her trousers evidenced the stain. A cloth rested on her left hand. Somehow she had found the strength to command it and clean her face from the vomit. Despite the grotesque and disgusting show for his senses, Lex smiled.

"It must be hard, Miss Parker," he mused aloud. "Your mind fighting for dignity where your body can't hold it."

Pale, exhausted and drained, Isabel raised her eyes, bereft of life. He was excruciatingly right. Fuck him, she just wanted to stand and launch herself at him. She couldn't even move a finger. Whatever he wanted to do with her, he could do. And he was doing it. First he had taken her love by treason. Then her freedom. He brought her to this place…the pulchritude of it nauseating her more than her own shit spilled on the floor. They put an IV, she vomited until there was nothing left on her stomach to expel. They gave her more food. More food came out her throat. Then she lost control of her own intestines, and she was too weak to move to the small urinal they had left on a corner. They had untied her because they knew she would not be able to move.

Catch a fly, keep it on a box and free it; after you've severed its wings. That's what they'd done to her. Turn her into a flying insect without wings. He even knew what to say. He was carefully choosing his words. She tried to speak. A pathetic gurgle escaped her mouth, together with drool against her will. Couldn't even will her eyes not to cry, painfully exposing her agony to the one man she wanted to conceal it from.

A disgusted look of Lex didn't escape her eyes either. He'd made her like that, what did he expect?

"This is enough," he said. Ironic. She'd been the one surrounded by smelly fluids and the one responsible for it was the one irked and offended. Isabel saw Lex stand and go to the door. There was a communicator on the wall beside it. "Bring the serum."

Quicker than her mind could react to the movement around her, the door opened and a man came in carrying a syringe. He took her arm and injected something. Then chained one hand back to the wall. One minute later, she had command of her body again. Lex looked at her hand. "Clean yourself."

Isabel didn't move. If she was going to die, it would be on her terms. Facing it.

"Your saliva disgusts me. Clean yourself."

Instead she gathered more and spit at his face. Three words followed. "You cl-clean your…self."

She didn't break eye contact with him. She saw one hand entering the pocket of his jacket, and taking an immaculate white handkerchief. Slowly, he cleaned his face, and left the cloth on the floor, next to her, right by a second syringe lying on the floor he had carefully placed for her to see. Renewed resolve brought by the growing awareness of her body again, she decided she would fight him with all her might; that green liquid filling the syringe would not enter her veins. It would not. Not before she showed him she was no easy prey. It wouldn't—

She didn't see that coming. The blade of the tiny knife he had taken out while she focused on his other hand approaching her body as he left the piece of cloth. The cut on her cheek. Thin, but stinging. With command of her body, he had also brought back the ability to feel pain.

"Don't worry," he said. "This won't hurt." He let a smirk out. "Much." With surprising speed and strength, he kicked her and used his knee to pin her to the wall, pressing enough to make it difficult for Isabel to breathe. She felt a sudden pain on her free hand, to the point of swearing a few tiny bones had just broken as his left shoe let all his weigh on her hand. Both of his arms free, he grabbed her by her cheeks, pushing with his fingers to force an open mouth and her eyes on his face. He was taking pleasure on the task. Carefully, he bit the needle and pulled, leaving a thin aperture on the plastic cylinder. "This does not necessarily have to be administered intravenously." Pushing the piece, he forced the liquid onto her throat. "This way it will just take a little longer to spread through your system." Making sure Isabel had swallowed it all, he let her free from his grasp and went back to his standing place.

Isabel shifted on all fours and coughed roughly, fighting for air until her breathed regained a more stable pattern.

"Does the name Tess Mercer mean anything to you?," he suddenly asked.

Still reeling from the pain and the fear that uncertainty brought with the unknown, Isabel answered with a negative shake of her head. The name seemed familiar, but she could not place it. And now she wasn't sure she wanted to have the sensation of her knowing this woman. A sudden shiver ran her at the thought of this woman being Mary. She had placed her betrayal on the back of her mind. The agonizing hours and torture in that disgusting white place had helped. But the ache inside was real. It was real and becoming an agony.

As if reading her mind, Lex answered. "No. It's not your girlfriend."

Did it matter anymore who Mary was? Did she want to understand? Her life had been snagged out of her hands. It was no longer on her grasp. How much difference did it make? No. Isabel resolved that the important thing right now was that she kept hold of the little freedom she had, her own free will. If that was the only thing she had left, she would die holding it firmly in her grip. Inside, she knew Lex Luthor didn't share her plans.

"Tess Mercer is the person you have to thank for. You see, the numbness we made you feel with the first serum is the product of years of experiments. All previous samples were tried on her. I can only begin to imagine the agony of losing control of your body like you have experienced. When we first tried it, she didn't recover it until our third trial. Five weeks later. She almost died of dehydration. You know how you can't control it," he said darting a glance towards the stain on her trousers. "The second…or maybe the third time, I can't remember anymore, the serum attacked her spine. Forcing her body into traction was painful for her. So, you see, you can consider yourself a fortunate woman. The product that flows now inside of you was tried on her too. Several versions, they rendered her brain-dead. She will never recover. Just feel the pain. You were lucky: the serum works, so you won't be a vegetable, you'll die instead. When I command you to." He forced her to look at him. "Let me tell you what is happening inside your body, Miss Parker."

Isabel's body tensed and she fought the urge to scream, but there was not a cell in her being that wasn't scared, and her face betrayed her will. She screamed inside. She didn't want to lose that too.

"It doesn't have a name yet. Let's see how it goes with you. Then I may get inspired." He paused, as if actually starting to consider names as he looked at her, then continued. "You will lose the will to command. Your body will work under my orders," he flatly informed her. Isabel could see how his eyes glinted deviously as he spoke. "But the best part of it, Miss Parker, the best part is that you will feel everything here," he said as he placed his index finger on her forehead. "Everything. Every agonizing second of your remaining existence will be imprinted in your mind. And you can't do anything about it. You are going to kill someone you know, Miss Parker, before you die."

No, no she would not. "I am not a machine, you cannot program me.."

"Yes I can. You are mine now."

"I am not I-" The words died. She realized with terror that her control was fading.

"I am afraid you are now," said Lex before standing up and checking his watch.

"Enjoy the next two minutes, Miss Parker. They will be the last of your free will life."

People say that before you die, or you think you are going to die, your whole life passes through your mind like a movie, frame by frame. Then what? Isabel used to think everything went black. Then, maybe, if it existed, another dimension for one's soul. And if it did not, oblivion, and the so-called Afterlife a place for those left behind to seek solace in their loss, hoping the dead are in a better place. But what if you were stripped of your soul while you're alive? She was becoming a carcass, and the man before her panicked eyes knew it. And would push the envelope beyond bending her. He wanted to break her.

Lex didn't leave. He stood there, looking into her eyes, observing how her remaining humanity left her, leaving no trace of it outside and a soul screaming on the inside, bound, all ties to sanity severed. That was why subjects couldn't last long under its effects: they went mad. "Miss Parker."

The eyes that looked back at him were no longer hers.

"Clean your face. It's disgusting."

Her hand didn't move, and Lex held his breath. It just took a second before the woman took the cloth and meticulously wiped all trace of saliva from the corners of her mouth and her chin. Smiling, Luthor handed her a gun. "I have a job for you." He smiled when the woman stood up and waited for orders. Then a voice sounded through the lab's communicator.

"Sir, the entity known as Oracle has found us."

_Mmm_. "E.T.A.?"

"Within parameters."

"Good. Leave the loop and prepare evacuation."

_**OOOOO**_

**Music**: Lex and Isabel: **Franz Ferdinand** "_**Ulysses**_" The "_You're never going home_" bit prompted this scene.


	14. Chapter 13: A hundred seven steps

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T (turns M-ish by the second half of the chapter)

**Warnings****: **There is a little bit of everything, but as a whole, this is not one of the nicest chapters of the story either. Some explicit stuff ahead. All for the sake of the plot, so I really hope you like it.

**Notes**: And wow and THANKS for all the kind reviews I've received so far! Thanks a ton for taking your time in commenting! And for the alerts and faves too :D

_**Chapter 13 "A hundred Seven Steps" **_

_**Unknown location. 17**__**th**__** March, 2021**_

The man monitoring the screens confirmed it. "Everything as planed, sir. They will not arrive before the appointed predicted hour, and the evacuation protocol is ready."

Lex surveyed the screens. Isabel was sitting on the floor, staring at the laptop she had been given. "Good."

Doctor Grohl, also in the room, saw him, and understood the silent question reflected on his boss' face. "Retinal scan shows the subject is assimilating her mission orders satisfacorily."

"But we are not sure of the outcome." It was an assertion.

"Subject beta reacted correctly."

"Mr. Grohl, subject beta was never taken to any extreme mental challenge, she was merely used to test a human body's endurance. Besides, her own moral principles were ambiguous enough to make her a dubious positive sample. The outcome of the serum with her would've proven nothing."

"We could…" Dr. Grohl swallowed, sparing a private instant to hate himself for he was about to do. "We could make a quick test to make sure it works and she will complete the mission."

A sneer reached Lex's eyes. "Indeed we could." Turning, he addressed the man monitoring the facility. "We have time. Have Miss Brooke come."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. **__**Lane-Kent apartment.**_

Kick.

Kick.

Kick.

Maybe a punch.

Half asleep, Lois winced and rolled over to rest on her other side, pressing legs so the pillow between them turned with her. "Ow." Sighing tiredly but refusing to wake up from her nap, she concentrated on burrowing on the mattress, trying to find the same comfortable position she'd achieved as she was dozing off; warm, and comfy and- Another kick. "God." Unwillingly she opened one eye, glaring at her swollen stomach. "Really, kiddo, can't I get a little nap?"

"Three hours is not really a little nap," said a familiar voice with a tinge of amusement in it.

The remaining closed eye followed its twin, focused on the direction the voice came from and found Chloe sitting by on the edge of the bed. "Three?" She saw Chloe nodding, and the alarm clock confirmed her dozing off had really been an 'I've fallen asleep like a freaking rock' siesta. No wonder she was feeling this lousy, active child and hernia aside. Long naps never suited her. "Three hours…Why didn't you wake me up, Chlo?"

"You looked like you needed it," she simply said.

"Well," she said while propping herself up with her arms, "don't trust how I look, you wouldn't believe how very not well I'm feeling right now for having slept that long." Sitting up slowly, she closed her eyes as her elbow rested on her thigh, and let her head fall on her hand. "Dammit." She felt tired, sore and heavy, and right now her mind refused to put her gloom into proper perspective and slap her on the face. She felt like crying. _DAMN_. A hand under her chin slowly took her out of the well as it raised her head.

"Hey," said Chloe softly, "if you need it, you need it. And your body and face were really screaming it, Lo." _Sure. As if that would make Lois feel better_. That was more of a grim perspective for the active reporter, and Chloe knew. In fact, Lois' face right now was reflecting that as her body told her she would probably have to slow down in a very significant way. Even from a distance one could see how active the baby was getting. If one paid a closer look at Lois' midsection, once in a while the fabric of her clothes over her belly would get a little moving bump that would trace a line, then fade, then appear again somewhere else.

When the baby started moving, it had become Chris' past time. He would challenge himself to catch the movement to see how much his little brother or sister moved. Then, when the movement became too regular taking its toll on Lois' body, he stopped doing it, feeling guilty for a week. Chloe smiled at the memory. He had been so adorable when confessing his crime to her as he begged not to tell Lois he had done it. No wonder Lois protested calling him her emotional kryptonite. He barreled through all her barriers and defense mechanisms with astounding ease and devastating innocence.

Hard times ahead for Lois, as Chloe knew her cousin would have to accept a few temporary changes. With this very special baby, they were all too cautious, no one really knew how long it would last, or if there was any unforeseen side-effect on the mother. However, she made a mental note to tone down precautions and overprotective behavior, because one thing Lois Lane was, was capable. Darnit, because she was going to hate what they had just decided.

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

Mary typed the code to enter the facility. She'd kept her mind busy with memories all the way there.

_Can I ask you something about your job?"_

"_Of course." Mary regarded her with veiled weary eyes and waited for the question to come. Did she suspect anything?_

"_Is it that boring that you never talk about it?"_

_She snorted and regarded fondly at her. Adult or not, she had the features of a kid. She was cute, Mary had decided. This assignment was a piece of cake._

The memories hurt, but she knew they would stop hurting soon enough. The door opened. One step less.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

Smiling in sympathy, Chloe let her hand go to her cousin's belly. "Giving you a hard time?"

_Like you have no idea._ Managing to keep that thought under layers of attitude, Lois decided for a feistier turn. Gathering herself, she pulled a smile. "Actually, as much as it is bothering me, I'd say she was actually thinking ahead and having a better mind than the rest of my family." She heard Chloe snort. "Only God knows how am I going to be able to sleep tonight, because I have no idea." _There. Lois Lane for the world, alive and kick— Ouch. Damn. _

Lois waited for Chloe to react as sweet Chloe and back off, but the fact that her sympathetic smile had turned into an amused one implied otherwise. The raised eyebrow even looked dangerous. "You contradict me and you suffer the wrath of a Lane," she warned, getting a nervous laugh from Chloe followed by an awkward silence.

_So. _Lois studied her for a few seconds, investigative reporter instincts resurfacing, furrowed brows of concentration and suspicion. That forced smile on her cousin's face who had just happened to avoid her sight and focus on the baby was indeed an alarm. As in 'Chloe avoiding' alarm. And that usually meant that whatever she had to say, Lois would not like. She gave Chloe a few seconds, and when she didn't see her cousin's eyes looking back at her, she decided to take the lead and force the truth out, Lois Lane style_._ Chloe was seeking to focus on the baby. Who had decided stop moving. "So are you going to tell me?"

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

Before one got to the main area of any Luthor hidden facility, there were stairs to descend and corridors to walk. Long space if you consciously took your steps slowly.

Mary wondered how many memories she could tuck in her mind in that span of time.

_Mary closed her eyes as her lover nibbled her ear with expert teeth and teasing tongue. It had taken her a month to get the woman on a bed, she had thought because of Isabel's visible shyness and mild manners. Holy crap, had she been wrong about that. Turned out that sex was not just sex for her, that it implied a little more, that she didn't do it with just anyone. She had confessed it after making Mary come hard, making the operative think about the success of her covert mission knowing she had the smaller woman wrapped around her fingers. "You keep doing that and I'll come before you start with the real fun." She heard a snort close to the ear Isabel was working on right before she turned to look at her. With a stark honest sweet face._

_One month together and she had just started peeling layers with this woman._

"_You looked exhausted, I was actually trying to soothe you to sleep."_

_Mary raised an eyebrow in question. "I'm so aroused, if you don't start inserting fingers down there I'll have to do it myself. Woman, you do not lull me by nibbling all sorts of sensitive points." Was she really serious?_

_A saucy grin and a body sliding between her legs came as answer._

Perhaps enough to fill herself with some courage for what was to come. Watching Isabel die. Maybe even being forced to kill her.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

Uh oh. Chloe raised her head, as if surprised by Lois' question. "Tell you what?"

"I am already awake and not in the mood to tell anyone for the umpteenth time that I can take it much better than not doing it at all." A pause. "You are wearing that look, Chlo." Silence from Chloe. Inward grunt from Lois. "Spill it."

Finally Chloe let out a sigh. She could pretend to be all the Oraclish she wanted, but there was no way to fake it with Lois. She was going to do it despite of her, but after what had happened the other day, telling Lois seemed the best option. Especially when this time it concerned her directly. "Ollie and Dinah are here. Clark too."

"For what?"

Chloe seemed to hesitate. "I…we reached a decision."

"While I was sleeping."

"Let's say you gave us time to prepare things a little." Lois blinked. _Rather to brace ourselves_. "We need a meeting and you're part of it. You are…it. And since you can't get to the Watchtower right now," she said gazing at her midsection, "I brought the League here," she said casually and with very innocent eyes. And waited. Lois blinked again, but nothing else in her body moved. "What?"

"The look," she said. "I know that look. There's more."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

"_You know what I'd like?"_

"_No," she said absentmindedly as she placed a hand on Isabel's forehead. She had caught a cold, and poor care had led her close to pneumonia. Damn, too close. She was burning up. "Fever's not breaking, Is, I'm calling the doct-"_

"_I'd like to take you to Spain, that's what I'd love to do."_

_Mary looked at her and cursed the fever. Isabel wasn't even looking at her, lost in some kind of feverish dream. Mary extended her arm to take the phone and the notebook for her doctor's number. _

"_We have a bit of ev'thing there, like old churches, even older paintings, beaches, cities, mountains…Art, culture, nature… I don't really know why we had to go fuck around in other cont'nets, frankly. You'd love it there, love." Her hand groped until it found hers and took it to her lips. Even in her fevered state she managed to give her the most gentle kiss, like she always did. But today her lips were dry._

_Sighing, Mary let her do as she called the doctor. Taking mental note on the physician's instructions, she turned to Isabel. The woman was feeling miserable and still looking at her lovingly. It made her smile. A very honest and grateful smile. _

_Something dawned on Mary. Or rather poked her heart as she finally turned inside and had a good look at it. What she had been avoiding all those weeks, spread for her to see in all it's glory. She had fallen in love with Isabel. Hard. _

_She wanted to rip her heart. She wanted to throw it away and escape from those feelings that would eventually… Fuck. Fuck her and damn her heart, how the hell could she do that?_

"_I love you."_

_It felt like a nail on her coffin. And at the same time it was the most amazing thing Mary had ever been told. Managing a smile, she'd laid down and enveloped Isabel in her arms so she wouldn't see her cry._

Mary wondered if she had ever slipped, made Isabel suspect, doubt. Suffer. Isabel didn't put up with lies easily, and a big part of Mary's job had been to conceal the truth from her. She had almost succeeded a hundred percent. Up until the last day. The memory slapped her mind with sharp accuracy. Almost, dammit. Almost wasn't enough.

A couple of steps more, and the door before her silenced everything.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

"We…" _Ain't this going to piss her off..._ "There's a new protocol for protection. For your protection," she corrected quickly. If she was to get hurt, at least let it be for the truth. "24/7."

"No."

_Well, that was to be expected_. "No?"

"No way, you…you pack of recidivistic…" Lois searched for a smart fitting word. "Of…yous." _Dammit_. "You are all nuts."

"We are taking turns."

"Chloe, I said no."

"I heard you alright, Lo," said Chloe using the most casual tone she could muster. Albeit knowing it sounded annoying, it was also the way to keep Lois in range. "Look at it this way," she continued, very carefully trying not to sound patronizing, something that would for sure put an end to this conversation and force Clark to take some drastic measure, like keeping Lois confined to the Fortress for the rest of the pregnancy. "You're carrying the first of a new species, Lois, with human and kryptonian genes. Every scientific mind is going to want to study it, ask questions, look for answers, figure out…stuff."

"You're talking as if I'm the incubator for the ultimate lab-rat."

Chloe softened her tone. "Are you telling me you never thought of how special this baby is? In every possible aspect?" She saw Lois close her eyes in short reflection. Yes, she had. "Honey, I am so ecstatic about this, I felt it my need to think these things. I don't want you to worry, I don't want you to do anything but enjoy this pregnancy. You're my family, Lo."

"Chloe, if you grow soft on me now…"

_Hormones. Lois hates them_. "I won't." Time to get monumentally serious. "I don't care what you think, you are getting protection. And that is not negotiable."

A very tense and what seemed to be long silence ensued. To be followed by the last words she would be expecting from Lois even under the most unreasonable of situations.

"Dammit you're good." Lois ignored the dumbfounded face she'd so easily pulled out of Chloe and started to get out of bed. "Either I'm getting softer with this pregnancy or you are getting really good at feistiness."

Finally reacting, Chloe let out a chuckle followed by an internal wave of relief and rapidly stood up, lending a hand to her cousin so she steadied herself. "I guess I have a good teacher."

"Spending too much time with Bruce?"

Chloe raised one eyebrow and drawled her answer. "Spending too much time with you."

However, Lois didn't get a chance to chuckle as she intended, because the door opened, showing a very serious Chris. "Chloe, Mom."

"What's up, Chris?"

"The computer," he said. "It finally located the facility." He paused to swallow. And something else."

His face didn't suggest it had found good news.

"What is it, Chris?"

"The woman that had been shot. Video feed. She's hurt."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

Entering the room she found Mr. Luthor, Rick and a doctor inside. It wasn't one of those lab cold rooms that made her irk every time she had to come to these facilities. There were screens monitoring them. Mary bowed her head faking deference as she tried her best to avoid a small monitor on her left. She would be there soon enough, and she didn't want to be affected by the sight, whatever it was. She could not see her hurt. She would raise her eyes only to look at her when they were face to face, and love her. And tell her that this was the best way, that she would aim and Isabel wouldn't feel any pain. That she would be like the man from that story, the one who had chosen how to die before he was killed by his enemies. She would be the hand taking the grenade for her, and Isabel would know it was for her own good. She was a good reader of her emotions. The best, actually.

_It had been a horrible day. Mr. Luthor paid well enough, but he also was demanding beyond her liking. And a fucking deceiving bastard with too much power. She was not supposed to do that, damn him. How the fuck was she going to shoot Isabel? How could he lie to her like that?_

_Furious, she grabbed the jar and smashed it against the wall. Right at the moment when Isabel was entering their apartment. "Hey!"_

"_Fuckit! Shit."_

_"You have an 'I really hate my boss' sign hovering over your head."_

"_Like you have no idea." Somewhere in between realizing she'd fallen in love with Isabel and knowing the inevitable outcome, Mary had surrendered to her feelings, because she couldn't avoid them. And she didn't want to give her up. She was a selfish bitch who had willingly sealed her death warrant. Surely Lex Luthor never hired good people. So there was no way she was a good person._

_But she was in love with one. She calmed herself a little as the victim in question approached her. "Sorry about the jar."_

_She was punished with a kiss on the lips. _

"_The jar doesn't matter. You do. Besides, a jerk for a boss in that time of the month? It's a wonder why the apartment is not a wreck."_

_Mary hugged her. She always found comfort with Isabel in her arms. "You always find the perfect words at the right time, you know that?"_

"_You're easy to read, honey."_

_A thought occurred to her. "Is…"_

"_Mmm?"_

"_Why are you with me?"_

_Isabel broke the embrace, gently, to look at her in question. "What kind of question is that? I love you and I know you love me too."_

_Those three words always came out easily from her mouth. And they were never a lie. "But how do you know I'm not faking it?"_

_Isabel placed her hand on Mary's forehead. "You don't have fever. Did you hit your head or something?"_

_Mary took her hand and looked at her. "I want to know."_

_Isabel regarded her in silence for some seconds. "Ok," she said finally. "Because I know the difference between the real you and the liar one."_

_That she hadn't expected._

"_Come on" she said smiling, "don't tell me those first months you didn't fake certain emotions. All you wanted to do was take me to bed. I wasn't sure I wanted a relationship based on sex, so I made you wait. And then I succumbed to my lust and let you ravish me."_

_Mary snorted._

"_And then I got lucky, because you really changed, and not long after that."_

_Not long after that? Had she known of her own feelings before she even realized? "When did you discover that?"_

"_You talk in your sleep. One night you woke me up. You were having a nightmare. Said something about being sorry, and then called my name. I figured. And the way you look at me." She smiled. "It's different too. More intense. Sometimes you look at me as if you want to make up for those times, because now you are sure of your feelings. So you see?" She kissed her, deep this time. "You've given me the chance to read you."_

Yes. Mary calmed herself a little. She would love Isabel when she saw her, and Isabel would read it in her eyes. She spared two thoughts for Isabel.

I won't let you down this one last time, my love. I will not leave you falling.

Then she raised her head and confronted her fate. "Mr. Luthor."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

Chris' concerned tone had been bad enough, and Clark's, Ollie's and Dinah's faces didn't help either. Before even considering losing any second sitting down, Chloe turned the computer towards her and had to force herself to breathe and swallow.

On a white room, a female body laid on the floor, seemingly unconscious. Remains of what seemed vomit suggested a very unpleasant time there.

"Oh my God."

"This stinks Luthor." Ollie was tense. They all were.

And Chris confirmed. "I have been in a place like that," he said with a small voice.

Lois looked at him, and then her eyes met Clark's very concerned gaze. "Someone took his mantle?"

"Looks like."

Chloe, still at the computer, typed convulsively to make it work faster. And it did. "Got it." She turned with resolve on her face. "Got the coordinates confirmed."

"Then let's go," said Ollie.

A quick pleading glance from Clark to Chloe, and Lois' silent concern on Clark and Chris set her on action. "Clark, you go as reserve."

"No."

"The place is here, in Metropolis, we don't need your speed and God knows how much Kryptonite's in there. You come but stay behind until I give you green light. Chris, same goes for you. But you stay behind this once." Another order. "Dinah, you stay with Lois?"

"Sure," she said ignoring Lois' eyes rolling.

"Fine. Then let's go, we have some major kick to butt."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

"Miss Brooke. Come with me, I want to show you something," said Lex extending his arm indicating her to walk outside. Mary followed and breathed relieved to avoid the horror that had surely happened in that room where they held her. Only the thought made her want to claw the way out of her own skin, and she needed time to prepare her best loving face Isabel had ever seen. Walking in silence, he led her to one of the labs. The one with the pod.

"Tess Mercer. A former protégée. She betrayed me. But before doing that she used my facilities to develop some interesting projects. One of them was a very special serum." He paused, looking at the pod, making sure the younger woman was looking at it too. "Aren't you wondering what does that serum do?" He watched with inward glee how the woman swallowed and considered an answer she knew she had no choice in making. "Oh, you do know, don't you? I always forget I tend to not tell my staff about my projects. Knowing what could happen to them were they to fail in their job somehow affects their performance below standards."

_Son of a fucking bitch._

"But you've earned the right to know, Miss Brooke. That serum, it steals your will. Takes it all away from you."

The woman's jaws clenched, and he could see how she was trying hard not to cry, because she knew what were the implications of his last four words. She knew it very well.

"Come. We have somewhere else to go."

Mary walked through the corridor with an increasing knot on her insides, feeling anguish taking over. Her previous resolve starting to fade. Lex's calm was like a burning nail on her being.

_3…6…11…_

"Your work for me has been satisfactory, Miss Brooke. I am grateful for that."

_21…23…_Mary focused on counting the steps. Maybe if she did she would silence the world around her. Maybe she could look at Isabel like she had planned, and-

"However, there is something bothering me. Worrying me."

_33…36…_

"You fell in love with your assignment."

_44…_Her tears could not be held longer. _50…57…_

"You could have betrayed me."

_69…_It did no longer matter if she didn't betray him. She had betrayed herself. _82…86…_She could see a closed door approaching with every step. _91…93…_ She knew what awaited her there.

"That has made you a liability, Miss Brooke."

_98…103…105…_

The door was opened in front of her.

"I am sorry, Miss Brooke."

_...106..._

She raised her eyes and finished dying inside, letting Isabel down, alone and falling.

"You're fired."

…_107._

Mary's lifeless body fell on the floor with a loud thump, the force of the blow opening a deep gash on her forehead, starting to bleed profusely. Isabel still pointed the gun where Mary's face had been. Lex smiled and placed the gun he'd been carrying for security reasons back on his pocket, and smiling in triumph, entered the room.

"Welcome to Luthorcorp, Miss Parker."

A woman incapable of recalling any emotion and of processing what had she just done gave the man standing by his side a single nod.

"Now you know what you have to do."

Mary's blood flowed inside the room, staining the floor red. A hand took the laptop before the liquid reached it, and left in on a table. The screen showed three pictures, two men and a woman. And three names. Oliver Queen. Clark Kent. Lois Lane.

_**OOOOO**_

**Notes: **

"_That she would be like the man from that story, the one who had chosen how to die before he was killed by his enemies. She would be the hand taking the grenade for her_" **Book reference**: Primo Levi's short tale "_The death or Marinese_"

**Music: Muse** "_Endlessly_" follows Mary's thoughts on Isabel and how ultimately she has failed the only person who ever really truly loved her. And who she loved.


	15. Chapter 14: Light against pitch black

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes****: **And the plotty plot keeps coming!

_**Chapter 14**__** "Lights against pitch black" **_

_**Sky**__**. 17**__**th**__** March, 2021**_

Chloe adjusted her prosthesis as Diana maneuvered to land the plane. Clark was hovering, waiting for them, and he descended to the ground as they did, standing quietly in front of the aircraft.

"I have to say, Chloe," said Ollie as he watched through the glass, "you deserve a PhD on handling heroes."

"Why'd you say that?," she asked as she rearranged her trouser leg.

"He waited for us," he observed.

"Ollie, all Luthor facilities are lined with lead, and Clark knows. There's no way he can see a thing, he's as blind as we are without the tech. Plus add the kryptonite factor. Clark's not stupid," she said trying to shrug off the fact that indeed, Superman had abided to her warning of not making a single step on his own.

"Still, Oliver is right," said Diana. "Kal does respect you."

"As I do him," said Chloe smiling at the Amazon.

"So." Ollie turned and examined the plane. "Not much space for the computer wiz here." He stared at Chloe. "Will you manage?"

She hadn't told him? "I'm not staying here, Ollie," she informed matter-of-factly.

Ollie blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Why did you think I put the leg on? C'mon, there's no time to lose." Chloe grabbed the equipment she needed and started towards the door.

"Miss Sullivan-," protested Diana.

Chloe ignored the nascent protest. "Diana, make sure no kryptonite makes its way towards Clark. Ollie, we look for Tess and Miss Parker. You," she said turning to Chris, "you stick with me."

"But…"

"Any move outside that, I send your alien butt back to your mother," she warned.

Chris saw a certain look he knew all too well, but rather from hazel eyes than Chloe's green ones, and decided to avoid getting into trouble. "Yes, ma'am." Then he thought he heard a snort and someone whispering 'like father like son'. It sounded a lot like Ollie.

Dismissing everyone's looks, Chloe wished they got over it and let herself out of the plane, not seeing Ollie's amused face watching her with Diana by his side.

"Two nights on nightshift at the tower, Clark doesn't even try to convince her," whispered Ollie.

Diana observed Chloe and smiled. "Not when he gets that look."

_**OOO**_

Clark was probably the easiest hero to work with. They had done it for so long, so many times, that despite their disagreements, they had been able to work through them and find common ground before compromising anything. Chloe approached him already checking coordinates and starting to run a thermal scan. "The facility runs longitudinal three yards from here," she said walking westbound. Clark and the rest followed. "I disabled security on our way here."

**_OOO_**

Clark observed her. Right behind Chloe, the newest member of Young Justice and two of the Justice League's members, one an immortal amazon warrior, the other one of the founders and head strategist. Followed by them, not following. A wave of pride and gratefulness caught him unaware for an instant, and he let it pass in form of a smile. As she reached him, he turned and joined the group, following with the rest and wondering if Chloe realized it.

"Do we really think we'll find someone in here?," said Ollie.

An uncomfortable silence answered his rhetorical question until Clark tried to word something.

"If whoever is doing this has left, I don't think they had enough time to clean the place." Clark chastised himself for not having given Ollie and the rest a better answer, but he had something else on his mind. "Dinah…?"

"Yes. Don't worry, she's in good hands."

"Dinah or Lois?," drawled Chloe.

"Heh." Ollie couldn't help it.

Clark simply rolled his eyes, and Diana opted for a wise silence.

Nevertheless, the attempt at humor ended as soon as they reached the entrance. "Superman?"

Taking the cue, Clark took the front and focused his eyes. Two red beams projected towards the door, melting the metal in a matter of seconds. His breath cooled it, leaving a somewhat rounded access for them. "You lead us, Chloe."

Accepting the leadership, Chloe checked the screen. "Ollie, remind me to pay something to Queen industries for their satellites." The scan, despite the depth and protection of the installations, was of impressive quality.

"Chloe. I pay you."

"Then remind me to cook a pie or do something nice for you. This is awesome." Thermal analysis showed the traces of human bodies already gone. Then there were two slightly stronger lights.

Diana looked at it. "It seems we're not alone," she said, correctly reading the signals.

Chloe wasn't sure she wanted to know who these two people were. "We head straight down," she finally said. Of the two, there was one showing a constant but lower body temperature. That was her first choice.

They walked in silence, looking up, down, left and right. Nothing, no sound. Just those two signals that didn't seem to move albeit the thermal indicated they were alive. Friends or foes, Chloe couldn't know. They had seen Miss Parker, but she also knew this could be a trap. The corridor ended on another one running transversally. There was also a door, and that was where Chloe's eyes were fixed. "Clark, Chris, get behind," she ordered. "Wonder Woman?"

Diana understood and walked towards it. Followed by Ollie, already loading his bow. The rest remained behind.

Chris attempted to step ahead, but he found an arm. Clark's. Tense and ready to react, but remaining behind Chloe. Obeying the silent order, he stayed, but focusing his senses as well. The sounds were painfully familiar. "There's machines behind that door." Clark nodded in confirmation.

Diana extended her arm to open the door.

"Dad."

Clark had his eyes fixed on the figure in green following Diana.

"I know those sounds, Dad," Chris grimly confirmed everyone's suspicions.

Ollie heard the kid and a very different kind of tension stripped his mind of focus. He saw the door opening, slowly revealing something hanging from the ceiling. Something big. Something he had seen before, some months ago. A container. A pod.

"I know who's in there."

With the same force as Chris' confirmation hit them, the bow left its owner and fell to the floor.

"Tess." Chris saw Ollie running inside as Diana, following Chloe's command, searched for kryptonite, soon confirming them that the place was clean. Chloe felt air moving and before she could blink, Clark and Chris were carefully placing the pod down with an impatient Ollie behind. "It didn't take us that long to free Chris from this thing, Clark."

Her condition. She was far worse than Chris when they found them. "I don't want to hurt her further," said Clark. Careful not to disengage any of the machines he saw hooked to the body, Clark opened the pod and gently took Tess, looking apologetically at Ollie. Thin and pale from years unexposed to the light. Clark's x-ray vision saw the severe atrophy in her muscles. His face, an open book, only seemed to increase Ollie's rage. "I'm sorry, Oliver."

Ollie stood there, face unreadable and eyes set on Tess' silent form, his mind already elsewhere.

Chloe turned on a channel from her comm link and waited.

"Dinah here, what's wrong?"

"Dinah, can you call Emil and send him to the tower?"

"What happened, Chloe?"

Chloe spoke softly. "We found Tess."

"We'll do everything we can for her, Ollie," said Clark.

Ollie didn't respond. His mind was picturing the screen on Chloe's hand, already taking the direction in which the other body was. If that was Miss Parker, there was no time to lose. Before anyone could react he turned and ran there.

"Ollie, wait!"

"Chloe? What's wrong? What's going on there?" Dinah's voice sounded as worried as they all were.

"Ollie pulled rank," she said mentally cursing as she prepared a new strategy. Gratefully, Clark was with his arms full of Tess, Diana waited for orders and Chris remembered her warning. "Guys, get Tess to safety," she finally said as she started running after Oliver.

"Chloe!," Clark began protesting.

"Tess first, Clark!"

She kept running, not waiting for her friend's protest. She forgot her comm link was still open.

"Chloe, what's going on?"

"Not now, Dinah." She turned it off and ran through the corridor. Suddenly she stopped and froze when she saw Ollie's unconscious body falling limp on the floor, right in front of the orange glowing dot that located a body standing there.

_**OOO**_

Still cursing their situation, Clark checked Tess' vitals while Diana dismantled the pod and Chris quickly but carefully made sure the machines were all monitors, and none provided her some kind of life supporting substance. But his hearing was set on Chloe. Suddenly he noticed the sharp change in her pattern. "Diana, take her." As soon as he felt the amazon's fingers make contact with Tess, he left.

Ollie's body on the floor and Chloe unmoving from a distance were the next thing he saw. Before he moved, a hand grabbed him. Instinctively, he took it and set Chloe behind him.

"Clark, he-," she whispered scared. There was no blood, but he didn't move.

"He's just unconscious, Chloe, he was hit with some kind of dart. Not shot."

"Not yet."

The voice sounded hollow. Painfully familiar for Clark, used to hear its gentle tone instead. Now it seemed bereft of emotions.

_**OOO**_

The negative was followed by a woman stepping forth. The one Chloe had seen on the video feed. She was no longer chained, didn't look sick. They had been tricked. Whoever was behind this had wanted them to come. Chloe's eyes were fixed on her left hand, holding a loaded gun, with the barrel pointed at Ollie's head and her finger firm on the trigger.

Chris arrived after settling Tess on Diana's plane and stopped as soon as Clark signaled him to do so. "Miss Parker," he said. "Please, put the gun down."

The woman tilted her head, studying the man she had in front of her with curiosity, but no recognition other than through the information she'd been given. He was to be stopped. "If you move, I'll kill him. You can't stop me."

Yes he could. Clark knew he could reach the bullet and disarm her before her finger left the trigger. But this woman was not to blame for her acts, and something in him wanted to help her stop it on her own. To give her a chance before he had to stop her. "Miss Parker, I do not want to hurt you."

"You can't hurt me."

Her automatic answer surprised him, and Clark stopped for an instant and looked at her. Really looked inside. There was a bigger truth behind those words, her eyes were saying. He went deeper wondering. Hoping her assertion didn't mean she had been withdrawn from emotions. If you didn't feel, you didn't hurt. "Chloe, you said surveillance was off."

"It is, Clark. No one's watching," she said correctly interpreting his question. "I don't think she's pulling an act, so go ahead and do your damn job."

And so he did. As Superman. And was slapped with the fact that Isabel had been stark honest when she said he could not stop her. He had been too focused on the hand holding the weapon to notice the other one hidden on a pocket with an open lead box containing kryptonite. He felt the jolt of pain and the suffocation, inches from her. Falling on his knees he only had time to turn and prevent Chloe and Chris to react. He _would_ do his job. He was Superman, a symbol of hope and truth.

"I warned you. Try to do anything and your friend will die."

"You will kill him just the same," protested Chris, frustrated for not being able to do more.

The woman looked behind Superman and studied the boy. "You were not in my profile." Then eyed Chloe. "Neither were you. Though I know who you are."

"Please, Miss Parker," said Chloe, "they have done something to your mind, but we can-"

"No. You can't."

There was no emotion behind that statement. She had just asserted she had no freedom and there was no pain, no rage, no impotence. How did you stop someone who cared not for life or pain? Who had no emotions? Chloe doubted there was a come back for her, she seemed far too gone, unstoppable. Her mind refused to accept the logical outcome and surprised her with an idea that should've been there from the beginning. The one she now understood Clark was working on. Only the brightest light could face that darkness, reach inside and make a dent. Enter and plant a seed. She knew; Clark believed in hope over anything else. He was hope. So she decided to believe in hope.

"Isabel." His voice came out in between shallow breaths and strained effort. "You can beat it. Don't do this, please. You…" He stopped to take air and forced her to make eye contact with him, desperately trying to reach what lay behind those eyes. "You are strong, you-"

"I have orders."

"Chloe, call Diana, please," whispered Chris.

"Give Clark a chance," she said almost against her will.

"But-"

"If Diana comes here, I will not be able to stop her, Chris. And I don't think I want to carry that kind of outcome."

"Chloe, she has kryptonite, a gun, Ollie at her mercy and my father kneeling in front of her."

"And no one is dead yet. Chris, you have to believe in him."

"I do, I-"

"Always." Like she was forcing herself to do now. And honoring her faith, she saw Clark taking strength from somewhere deep, and rise, standing up by sheer will.

The gun pointed at him. "That is not a wise choice."

"You don't want to pull that trigger. You are not that kind of person," he insisted.

"You know nothing about me."

Clark's voice changed. Softer. Gentle. Like Clark, not Superman. "Yes I do. I talked to you that night, when you faced Lex Luthor." Something twitched. Almost imperceptible to the human eye. "Then we talked. Miss…Isabel, someone working for Lex took you, they did something to you."

"Someone..."

"We can help you. Bring you back. I met you, Isabel, that night. We talked, remember?"

"Chloe, he's…"

Revealing his secret identity. Chloe nodded and forced her faith on Clark one step further.

"Clark Kent?," he said. Her eyes showed recognition. He could do this. He _could_. "We talked and you left because you wouldn't be interviewed."

Her face was no longer blank. "I have…orders."

"You don't have to carry on with them, Isabel," he offered. Almost a plea. But her hand didn't waver. "Look inside, Isabel. You have a life. Family. People who love you."

"I have orders. Have…" But something was crumbling down. It was as if her mind couldn't process it, but it was there, confusing her. "Have…no one."

"Please. Let me help you, Isabel. Don't do this."

Chloe's hand grabbed the communicator.

"Luthor's people did this," insisted Clark, finding more strength in his voice.

"Luthor's people," she whispered to herself. She raised her sight. A tear had appeared. Her voice, a thread, only heard by Clark. "No. It was not his people. Not them." The pain reached her eyes as her voice gained normal volume back. "And you can't break this." The hand grabbing the kryptonite left the pocket, making Clark fall on his knees as it landed on his feet. Chloe pressed the button that would call alert to Diana. "I'm sorry, Clark." She spared a look to Chloe. "He's alive."

Before they could react, she threw the kryptonite at Clark, and before Diana could reach her, she pulled the trigger.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Notes: **_during The OMAC project, Diana killed a man (Maxwell Lord, actually) in order to save Clark and the rest of the world, being depicted as a tough warrior that would do what needed to be done for the greater good. This is not implied as canon for Parachutes, but that trait of Diana is. So Chloe knows what consequences could calling Diana have.


	16. Chapter 15: One second too late

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes****:**

_**Chapter 15**__** "One second too late" **_

_**Metropolis**__**. Lois and Clark's apartment. 17**__**th**__** March, 2021**_

Dinah tried calling again. "Chloe?" Silence answered. "Dammit, Chloe, don't you turn off the channel," she hissed.

Five minutes before, Dinah had excused herself to the kitchen to prepare some tea with milk while Lois remained in the living room, and called Chloe to get a follow-up of the mission. Two minutes later she found herself seeing how Chloe had turned off communication, leaving her with no chance of knowing what had happened. But knowing that something had happened. She used to get very frustrated with Babs for that very same reason. Turned out it was an Oracle trait.

"Dinah?"

Dinah took a deep breath and concealed her concern as much as she could. No point in worrying Lois when she knew nothing. "Almost done," she said as she finished pouring the milk.

Lois entered. "What were you doing, milking the cow?"

Dinah gave her the mug. "Sorry, I got a little distracted."

Lois took a sip and smiled. "Don't be, the tea's great. And stop worrying yourself out. There's two kryptonians, an Amazon princess, your hubby and Chloe. What could go wrong?"

_Everything? _"You're right." Dinah forced a smile and sat down with Lois, her mind far from that cozy kitchen and the feisty reporter.

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location, Luthor's facility.**_

Three seconds. It didn't take her longer to get there. And still it was too late. After leaving Tess on the plane, already on her way back inside, Diana had heard Chloe's scream, and got in time to see a woman throwing something at them as she pulled a gun's trigger. Maybe if she had done something differently she would've got there in time… But now there was no point in thinking that. She'd arrived a second too late, while the body, already dead, fell on the floor.

A natural strategist in battle, she quickly assessed the scenario, and the first thing she saw was the kryptonite rock laying next to Clark.

"Hold there, Christopher," she ordered to the younger kryptonian as she kneeled by Clark. "Hang in there, Kal, you'll be all right in a second." Diana took the rock and flew out of there, sparing a glance to the woman she had seen throw the kryptonite to Clark so the only two people fast enough to stop her from pulling the trigger on herself couldn't save her.

_**OOO**_

As soon as Diana left, Clark felt the air back into his lungs as the strength returned. Soon he had a very concerned Chris by his side.

"Dad, are you alright?"

Clark turned his head and gave the boy a smile. "I'm fine, son." Smile soon turned to pressed lips and a knot in his throat. It had happened so fast. And he had been there. And he had been not been able to save her. She'd made sure of that. Before his thoughts and guit drowned him, he turned focus to the rest, years of experience telling him he would have to deal with that later. At that moment there was a lot to do, starting with Ollie, to whom Chloe was tending. "He's breathing, Chloe," he confirmed before she placed a finger to check the pulse.

Chloe turned Ollie's head slightly to reach for the dart. Grimacing from the thought of hurting him, she pulled the device out and studied it. A small empty capsule showed something had entered his system. "We need to get him back to Watchtower, Clark, he's-" She stopped talking; Clark had stood up, and was kneeling now by the body of the woman in silence, but his face an open book where anyone could read pain and sadness. "Clark, you did all you could," she softly said.

"Not enough." _Not enough._ He had seen it in her eyes, at that last moment, a sign of recognition and appalling determination that took control of her hand. He stood with her the only way he could, kryptonite gripping his body beyond his own will to move it: locking eyes, so she did not die alone, but with someone caring; and he forced his ears to focus on her heart, and stood there, with her, as her heart slowed down and finally stopped. It was what she had allowed him to do. No more, just that. There was always a choice, always hope, why—how had she lost it? Why couldn't they help her? Was whatever had been done to her that strong that she knew there was no hope for her? He would've saved her. He could've... He SHOULD have.

Part of the answer laid on the room she'd come out from. Chloe was looking there. "Lois told me she was her girlfriend." The corpse of the woman they had met at the hospital when they visited Isabel, white as a sheet, in a pool of blood. Her blood. "She killed her."

"Isabel was no killer, Chloe. They made her do it."

Diana had returned, and saw the dantesque scene. Two women dead, one of her friends injured and another one hurting. And not a clue. Detaching herself from any feeling, she took Ollie gently, and grabbed the reins of the mission until Oracle took back command. "Kal, Chloe, we need to take him and Miss Mercer to medical care as soon as possible."

As expected, from the short time she'd known her, Chloe reacted to her words. With a silent nod, more to herself than to anyone else, she turned and faced them.

"Chris, can you get Ollie to the plane?" Chloe then answered Diana's questioning look. "We need to take as many samples as we can, Diana, and I don't want to risk more kryptonite exposure." The amazon nodded, placed Ollie on Chris' awaiting arms and left. Clark had stepped inside, and was looking at Mary's body. Chloe remained by his side. They both knew that should've never happened. No words were needed. She simply let her hand rest on his back.

Clark didn't move. A thread of voice spoke. "I know who did this."

Chloe looked at him, and saw Clark's eyes showed a faint squint. He was looking at something with his x-ray vision. Something on Mary. "Clark?"

In silence, he walked to the body and kneeled by Mary's left arm. Gently, he pulled the black sleeve up and exposed what he had seen.

Chloe's eyes opened round. Self-carved onto the woman's wrist, clumsily, as if done in a hurry, were three familiar letters.

Isabel's last words rushed back to Clark's mind. Not _his_ people. Not Lex's people. "Chloe, make sure you all get safely to the Watchtower." And he left.

Some minutes later he had checked his house's surroundings, and was about to enter home when he stopped himself. Dinah was there, and he had left so fast just terrified that this had been one more of his traps to lure him far from Lois…He could not just go in there and tell Dinah nothing about what had happened. Only thing he knew was that Ollie was alive. Fighting the need to get back home, he changed course and flew towards the moon.

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower.**_

Emil was already working on them when Clark arrived. Chris and Diana were arranging the samples for analysis and Chloe working on her computer. "Chloe?"

"Emil has no idea of what's wrong with Ollie. I called Dinah. She'll wait until you go back to come."

Clark nodded. "…Tess?"

Chloe's grim face was all he needed. "Emil doesn't know either. But it doesn't look good."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

Clark knew Dinah's mind would probably be on the Watchtower, but thanked silently that despite that, she had waited for him to arrive, not leaving Lois alone.

Dinah's face was stone, and it probably would continue like that until Ollie's situation reached an end, whatever that was. He didn't find the words inside to make her feel better. All he felt was sadness and pain. Isabel's tragic death had shaken him, and he felt no strength left to remain stoic. It seemed a futile and ridiculous idea, and all he wanted was to avoid the pain and get lost in her arms.

But he was going to have to tell her, and make her suffer too. He never thought he could be close to hate someone as much as he was now. But then, something Ollie had told him that day at the Watchtower made him think. Hatred, that was what he would want him to feel now. Even if he knew Clark was too used to not lose it. To make a dent was enough satisfaction. Dent by dent he would reach the core one day and destroy him from inside.

"You will not win this time," he whispered to himself, and closing his eyes, he willed his mind to focus, breathe and keep calm. A soft voice grabbed his attention.

"What happened, Clark?"

Lois' face was carved with worry, not knowing the whole story.

"The mission," he started, "they…they knew we were coming."

"You had expected that."

He nodded. "But not that they had left someone behind."

Lois walked to his side and placed her hand on his cheek to gently lead his eyes to hers. "Clark, what happened to Ollie?"

"He's…she shot him, we…we don't know yet with what, and he is alive, but with…we don't know what is wrong with him, Lois. He's alive, but not reacting." And that was not the worst.

Damn him. That was not the worst.

"Clark," she whispered.

He looked back at her, needing her closeness, needing to let the pain out but not wanting to hurt—and he saw it in her eyes.

_She is here for you. She is the one who will catch you when you fall as you do with her. Pain and joy. The full package. No secrets, no lies. _"Let's go sit down, hon."

"Clark-"

"I'm…I'm tired."

Lois looked at him for a long silent understanding moment. "Ok. Let's go to the coach."

They both walked into the living room and Clark helped Lois sit. It bought him some time, but he was still at a loss of words. So he tried to start from the beginning. "We…we got there and… It was empty, no guards. Chloe found two bodies, so we headed to the first one. We found the pod." He searched in Lois' eyes.

"Tess."

A nod. "Emil doesn't know, but…I held her Lois, she was so…fragile and weak and…" He was struggling with the words. "It doesn't look good." He paused. "Then, Ollie. He was really mad, and he ran, he guessed the other body was Isabel's and…"

Lois finished for him. "It wasn't. And he got shot."

He really didn't want to say it. He searched for something, perhaps something he had missed, or another clone story. Anything but the truth. Not now. Not this pain again. Not to her. Because Clark knew he was not going to be the only one carrying the guilt of her death. Lois would too, and there was nothing he could do to prevent that. "It was Isabel. She's the one who made the shot. She was…induced somehow, and... she shot Ollie with something. She had kryptonite, I…" A hand on his chin made him look. Her eyes were hurting. "I couldn't stop her," he whispered. "I just couldn't, she—She held this gun at Ollie, and I knew I…even if I had been able to move, I wouldn't have been fast enough to stop her, and Chris and Chloe…I had to protect them, and-" Was he looking for excuses?

"Clark…" Tear stained eyes bore into his soul.

He found it hard to find his voice. "She had been ordered to kill her girlfriend, and, I talked to her I…I reached inside, Lois, I did."

"What happened?"

"She killed herself. It was the only way, she said. She—she threw the kryptonite at me and pulled the trigger. I-" he crumbled into her arms and cried. "I'm so sorry Lois, I couldn't save her, I-"

Her voice betrayed the tears she could not hide, even if Clark, losing himself in her embrace was not watching her. Tears of rage for an unfair death, tears of pain and of sadness for the suffering his guilt over her tragic ending would give him. But also determination of what she knew was true. "No, you couldn't, Clark." Someone had taken that woman's fate in a firm grasp, and no loose ends had been left for Clark and the rest to have a chance. "You did everything you could, Clark. I know you did."

"What if I didn't, Lois? What if there was another way and I just didn't see it?"

"Clark, you've faced these situations for years now. You did all you could."

Clark composed himself as much as he could. There was still something else to tell her. He privately checked on her and the baby first. No stress. No way to avoid it. "Isabel said something before she died. That it had not been Luthor's men who had forced her."

"Clark, she was in a LuthorCorp facility."

"I know."

"She was confused, she'd been drugged."

"She wasn't, Lois. And I think she was not lying either."

Lois studied his face, serious. Her voice came out a few notches low. "I don't think I like the implications of that."

"I think Mary knew she was going to die. She left a message for whoever found her."

"What did it say, Clark?"

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower.**_

Nothing prepares you, ever, to see a loved one hurt. Not even when you are so used to that you stop hoping for the other shoe not to drop, because you know it will.

Emil was checking the charts he'd just gotten from Ollie, and she could see a vial with blood in his hands, ready for analysis, she guessed. Hearing the steps he looked at her. "His vitals are constant. He's in some sort of coma, Dinah, but…I still don't know what has affected him and how."

"The blood will tell you?"

"If whatever had the dart is traceable. I'm also doing a neural scan, I want to check his nervous system."

"And her?"

He shook his head. "I'll run as many tests as I can. But…"

She gave him a silent understanding look.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while." And so he left the room.

Dinah sat by Ollie's side and grabbed his hand. "It must have torn you to see her there, right, Ollie? Dammit, you fool." There was no anger in those words. But it was all she could do. "You can't help it, I know. That's one of the reasons why I love you so much."

"Hey."

The soft voice made Dinah turn her head. "Chloe."

"I…"

"I know. You couldn't have stopped him, Chlo, he's pretty stubborn."

Chloe walked and stood by her side. "He'll pull through. He's strong."

And loving, and fun, and vulnerable. _Dammit, Ollie_. "Yes, he is." She tried to change the conversation. "Lois will be upset she couldn't visit up here."

"Yes."

"Tell her not to worry."

_We both know that's futile_. "I will. Don't worry."

"Um…Chloe?"

"Yes?"

"Ollie ever mentioned a backup plan in case he… he couldn't lead the League?"

"Yes. There's a protocol, actually." She paused. "He, uh…he has a substitute named for that eventuality." Silence. "It's Bruce."

"Mister neutrality and justice. God, Ollie, you're full of surprises."

"Yeah. Who would've thought."

"I would've bet Clark. Or Hal." Then she pondered. "But no, he made the right choice."

"You think so?"

"Yes. Clark and Hal are too close friends. Not a wise choice."

"That why you're not even in the list? You are a proven excellent strategist, Dinah." She had been meaning to ask Ollie, but had ever dared.

"If me stepping as the new leader would mean Ollie was not around…do you honestly think I would be a reliable choice?"

Chloe's mind went back to the time of Jimmy's death. Of how she felt. Of what she did. Of what would happen to Clark if something went wrong with Lois. Of how wretched Dinah was inside now, despite her efforts to look calm. "No, you wouldn't. You're right." Silence. "I'm going home. Call me if you need anything, ok?" She leaned and kissed her on the temple, feeling the squeeze on her hand as a silent thanks.

"Chloe?"

"Yes?"

"Can you call Helena and the boys?" Roy and Connor, as family, were ones of the few knowing about Chloe.

"Sure. Don't worry."

_**OOO**_

_**Isabel Parker's apartment. 18 hours before**_

_She had spent the last day there, sitting on the floor, hands clasped around her knees. The police had left the apartment after she had reported her girlfriend missing and shown them the wreck at the place. She had played the part well. Wrecked, not knowing what had happened, appalled when traces of drug were discovered hidden from her. She had played the police well. The aggrieved girlfriend who finds out her lover has been hiding dirty business and now is missing and for all they know, she could've prepared all this herself in order to trick the police._

_Only two hours before she had started to clean the apartment compulsively. It was worthless, Luthor's men would come and clean themselves. There was no point in trying to hide a confession somewhere. She knew she was being followed. Someone would follow her wherever she went and find any evidence were she to attempt exposing him._

_She feared Lex knew of her feelings towards Isabel, and the man was known for leaving no loose ends behind._

"_Mary, you have to take care of yourself." Those had been her last words when she had claimed she wouldn't go to work that morning due to a sick stomach. Isabel had left the house and she had planned the kidnap. Placed the drugs. Hidden, she had heard Isabel's frantic call when she got back and saw the mess, calling for her. Mary had moved swiftly, grabbing her from behind before Isabel called the police. What she hadn't anticipated was that her reflection on the glass showed Isabel who was her betrayer._

_The pain had been there, in her eyes. She placed Isabel's limp body carefully on the floor. It all made her retch. She almost didn't make it to the bathroom._

_There she was now, focusing on the knife she'd been holding for some time. It was only fair that she died, wasn't it? She reflected. No. Not like this. It was right that Isabel had seen her. In her guts she knew the plans Luthor had for her. Whatever he'd given to Isabel, knowing her own girlfriend had betrayed her would lessen the blow. That was the least she could do for her before someone could save her._

_Please, someone. Save her._

_So no confession to make. No way out of this. Her unexpected love, ripped from her. An innocent life crushed mercilessly. Mary knew she would die. So there was one thing to do._

_Carefully, she took the knife. The doorbell rang._

_No, not now. I need time! "Who is it?"_

"_Officer Brandt, Metropolis Police Department."_

"_Just a minute!" Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. There was no time to lose now. Grabbing the knife, she marked her skin as fast as she could. Two lines. "L."…four; "E". It stung, but there was one more. The doorbell rang again. "I'm in the bathroom, just a second!" Two more. "X". Pressing a towel against the carved flesh she ran to the kitchen and washed the blood out of it and the knife. Hoping the black shirt would hide the blood stains, she opened the door. "Sorry. Caught me in a bad moment."_

_The man came in and surveyed the apartment. "I know. But wanted to clean it up a bit."_

"_Come. Mr. Luthor wants to see you."_

_Mary__ grabbed her coat and looked at the picture for one last time._

_**OOOO**_

_**Music: **_Clark and Lois. _**Sade**_ "_Safest place_" / Mary's flashback _**Björk **__Show me forgiveness_.


	17. Chapter 16: Trying to find Answers

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 16 "Trying to find answers**__**" **_

_**6**__**th**__** May. Metropolis. Emil Hamilton's clinic. **_

Her fingers rattled on the stretcher impatiently as both men were silently focused on their own tasks. One was studying the screen showing what she still saw as a blurry mass of greys, although finally with a shape making sense. The other, fortunate daily witness in full color of the miracle, trying to keep her calm, which she knew he knew was an impossible thing. Her restlessness, however, was not on the baby these days, but on Ollie, still unconscious. "It's been twenty days, Emil," said Lois. "Really? No change, no diagnose? No nothing?"

Emil concentrated on the baby, wondering how would Clark be seeing what he received on the monitor. "Lois, I'm doing everything I can. Now, if you can stay still…" He eyed her. "For a second? Please?"

She did stop hammering her fingers on the stretcher. Emil took it as the most he could achieve and kept doing his job.

"I just find it hard to relieve. I mean, we've been dealing with Lex's stuff for decades, and suddenly you don't know how to handle a coma."

Emil sighed as Clark remained prudently silent.

"I'm hormonal, I don't care what you guys say. Ollie's still unconscious, and it's pissing me off." She took a second to breathe and looked back at Emil. "Are you finished yet?"

"Lois," said Emil patiently as he gave her a piece of cloth to clean the gel on her abdomen "this was some engineered drug, and there were no files to trace it. Last time it took us months to figure it out."

She wiped the substance off her belly and started buttoning her blouse. "And practice makes perfect. Make it less than a month this once."

"Lois, honey, we-."

She sighed and sat up, letting in some of the tiredness she was feeling. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, it's this…everything. It's getting on to me."

"Lois, now you have a lot on your plate, and I'm not even going to suggest you don't think about this-"

"Good."

"Oliver is stable, we only need to find a way to bring him back. But he is in no danger. It's just a matter of time." His words seemed to calm her down a little.

"Huh-uh. A matter of time," she murmured. "Like this one?," she asked stroking her belly. "It's starting to get seriously big."

"The baby is developing just fine, Lois," assured Emil. "As if it were human, but probably with a slightly slower growth rate."

"What does that imply exactly?"

"Clark's molecular structure is more dense than the average human body, so it is possible that the baby has inherited it, which means it'd be growing a bit slower as it would have to use more energy than a completely human baby. But nothing to worry about."

"Hmmm." She looked pensively at her midsection. "We did manage a story to give us an extra month just in case." There was a hint of concern in her voice, one so subtle only Clark had caught the nuance.

"What if the baby was born before? Say within nine months?," he asked hopeful.

"We can program a premature labor," said Emil understanding perfectly Clark's concealed question. "The baby will be fully developed in a couple of weeks."

"No. The baby is born when it has to," interrupted Lois, receiving two silent looks, and one of them pleading. _Darn puppy eyes_. "Oh, you two shut up." Clark leaned on her.

"Honey, the baby is ok. You don't really have to wait more than necessary."

She didn't need to think the answer to that. "I want it to be born safe and sound, Clark. No risks."

His answer was automatic as well, and softened by his voice. "I don't want to risk the mother either."

Lois caressed his face, pulling her feisty self, like she always did when she wanted to avoid worrying him. Like the old days. "I'll be fine, Smallville. This is me, remember? I didn't get this far to chicken out."

"Chicken out you? You never run from anything, Lois Lane. I only wish you did once in a while."

_**OOO**_

_**Gotham City. Batcave.**_

Meeting the new commissioner on the rooftop had felt really strange. Not Babs' father. At least he knew Mr. Gordon was safe and sound, living some miles away from the big city, a more or less tranquil life.

Dick let out a long sigh and walked down the stairs. Since Bruce was temporarily heading the League he had given him some of his night watch duties in Gotham and had asked Tim to come to help too while he spent most of the time in the Batcave or the Watchtower.

Chloe, Dr. Hamilton and Bruce had been trying to find a cure for the Green Arrow. The problem was that they had found nothing wrong, so where to start from, had been the uncomfortable question driving their heads. Bruce had done dozens of analysis, and there still seemed to be something missing. Emil and Bruce had done the autopsy on Isabel, finding absolutely nothing. Oliver's blood tests had come up blank; whatever fluid had been placed in his system was undetectable. There was something that did not fit. That meant, and Dick knew, that Bruce was probably working on that now: studying the patterns, linking everything and finding the glitch.

Or trying. Dick wondered how much had Bruce already figured out on his own, how little had he revealed and how frustrated he was by not knowing all the answers. One thing he knew: it had to be very when Chloe was there instead of the Watchtower. Or her home.

"She fell asleep an hour ago," said Bruce as he checked the content of a vial.

An hour ago and while working, it seemed. Her computer was on, processing some data, and she was resting her head on her crossed arms while sitting on her wheelchair. At least she had let her leg rest. He knew phantom pains bothered her and the stump was sore if she had the prosthesis for long.

"Shouldn't we take her upstairs?," he asked lowering the tone of his voice. "She'll be more comfortable on a bed."

"No. She just needed some rest. She won't like to be bothered."

Dick considered it, and decided to let her there. Bruce was right, despite her natural sweetness, Chloe was not one to mess with, and liked to have control of her own. Taking a couple more steps, he approached Bruce. "Any advance?"

Bruce didn't turn to look at him, merely concentrating on the vial. "We'll see."

He had lived with the Bat since he was a child. Trained under his strict eye. He knew him as much as any person could hope to. His words were never wasted. He always meant something. His answer had not been idle conversation or a filler for him to leave him alone. No. Bruce had just told him that there was something they were missing; that he knew now there was a glitch, and that little piece that would give them all the answers was probably not in that little glass tube.

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower. Med bay.**_

He visited every day since they rescued her.

Chris had never spoken to Tess Mercer, but he had known her being in that place, had heard her suffering. He felt wrong about this. When he was freed she was not, and Luthor had always shown complete conviction that she would never be. Now, looking at her, he realized with sadness that the man had been right. He had broken her beyond any expectations of recovery, in body and soul. Dr. Hamilton had told him there was very little chance of recovery, and most they could hope for was life as a vegetable.

Was that even life?

Chris felt sick. The same could have happened to him. Was that his fate had he not been rescued? He feared the answer. He only knew whatever done to him, had been done in order to hurt Mom and Dad. What exactly, he did not know. Or if there were any sequels of his time captive that they didn't know of.

Chris heard the door open and looked back. Dad, in his Superman costume, entered. His mind went straight to his prime concern. "How did it go with Mom?"

_**OOO**_

Clark had seen the silent figure looking at Tess and had stood away for some moments before entering. However, when Chris mentioned Lois, he couldn't help a tiny grin. "Baby and mother are fine." Clark finished walking in and sat down beside Chris, staring at Tess in silence until the dreaded question came.

"Will she be alright?"

He looked down in silence.

"I feel sad about her. Is it wrong?"

Clark turned his eyes back at Chris in surprise. _Wrong?_ "Why would you say that, son?"

Chris returned the look. "I know she hurt you. And Mom," he said timidly.

"Tess was…misguided. I don't think she was a bad person. But Chris, the ability to forgive, that is something you should never be ashamed of."

"It's hypocritical. And selective," he said as if reaching some kind of conclusion he had been dealing with. I cannot forgive Luthor. As much as I try. What kind of example am I giving, Dad?" He pondered his own words, unaware of the turmoil he had planted on the man sitting beside him, to whom he knew he looked up to. "Would you ask me to do that? To forgive him?" Chris found two startled eyes dealing. Unsure to look back. "Should I?"

The question came innocent and honest. But it stung, confronting Clark with answers he didn't know."I don't know, Chris." Clark was reminded that another one of his fears was to let down the people he loved. To hurt them. "I am not sure I can forgive him for all the evil he has done. I would…I would never want to end his life," he said carefully choosing his words, "but forgive him? I tried so hard, Chris, so hard to help him."

"You did?"

"When we were young. But when he learned my secret, he…he wanted to kill me. And he never stopped trying afterwards. It wasn't just me on the line, Chris. It was everyone I care for."

"So it all turned into protecting your family and saving the world from him?"

"It was the only thing I could do. And still, people get hurt. The ones who made the mistake of trusting him," he said looking at Tess. "And innocent people who had done nothing but crossing paths with him." An aching thought took him to Isabel and her girlfriend, who, in a last attempt at redemption, had given them the name no one wanted to see, revealing Lex was indeed alive and behind it all. "I am sorry, Chris, I wish I could tell you to forgive him. But I lack the moral support."

Chris let himself lean on him. "S'okay, Dad."

No, it wasn't ok. But they would get through this, somehow. That he knew.

_**OOO**_

"Thoreau."

"One day I kicked a guy in Massachussets."

Helena sighed. "Dinah…"

"What? Concord's there…," she said in the same neutral tone she'd kept during the last weeks.

"You're making the six degree thing wrong. C'mon, Dinah."

"I didn't start this silly game."

"I know. But I had a horrible night dealing with kids without brains, so I can't make a good conversation without adding to my migraine. C'mon, this one's easy. Humor me?"

Easy for her to say. Helena was in full best friend mode ever since she knew about Ollie. "Just…leave it be, hon. I'm not really up for anything right now." The had she was holding still not responded.

"You're up for some meal." Helena stood and extended her hand. "C'mon, Dinah, you need your food."

"I'm not really hungry."

"I want a spar lesson with you later. I don't think you can take me if your stomach is empty." Dinah's eyebrow lifted a little in answer to her teasing bait. Helena smirked. "C'mon, Canary, I'll go easy on you."

Dinah couldn't help the tiny grin. "I hope you don't. The spar lesson would end too soon."

More amiably, she stood up, and leaned on Ollie to give him a kiss. "Be right back, love," she whispered. Then she froze. Her finger had noticed something. Movement. Her eyes opened wide as she looked at his hand. It was where it had been before. Perhaps her imagination. It was playing dirty lately. Sighing, she stood and turned, but the body of the friend who had been there with her was not going anywhere. She followed the costume to meet the eyes, surprised to find a knowing smile looking back at her. Reading her thoughts one by one.

"You didn't imagine it, Dinah. He twitched. Ollie moved his hand."

_**OOOOO**_


	18. Chapter 17: Answers in the dark

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes**: thanks so much for all the alerts and reviews! Hope you keep enjoying the story until the end!

_**OOOOO**_

_**Chapter 17 "**__**Answers in the dark" **_

**May, ****8****th****. Watchtower.**

There had been darkness. Then, slowly, all his senses had begun to work. Just like that. At least that was what they -Dinah, Clark, Emil- had told him had happened. It was all fuzzy to him. A nagging headache had dragged him from sleep a few minutes before, and Ollie had been dealing with it ever since, refusing to open his eyes. Other than that he was fine. Sort of. Something just didn't feel alright, but he could not say what, and with Emil, Dinah and Clark telling him all his blood tests and analysis had come out negative, as in he didn't have anything weird, he had chosen to ignore it. Probably just a side effect from the disorientation of having been in a coma for several weeks.

Grunting at the headache that wouldn't go away, he forced the rest of him to wake up, and the first thing he noticed was a certain warmth by his side. His hand was covered, and he could feel her thumb gently rubbing it. Dinah. "Having a nice time watching me trying to sleep and not succeeding?"

"You're not exactly a sight for sore eyes right now," she said, "but yeah. Knowing you were aware and sooner or later you'd be opening those eyes of yours feels great."

"I probably feel as bad as I look, birdie."

"Still sore throat?"

Ollie nodded. He had been two days awake now, but still had a very uncomfortable harsh dryness on his throat. Letting his eyes get used to the light, he propped himself on an elbow and started to sit up on the bed, grunting when Dinah moved to help him. "I don't need help," he said a little too abruptly.

_**OOO**_

Dinah pressed her lips and backed off a little. "I…know," she said softly. "Sorry." She knew how frustrating it was for Ollie to need help, and she got it, but there was something else. Truth was that, since awakening, Ollie had been rather distant. She had chalked it up to his anger at finding Tess and yet another death of an innocent orchestrated right under their noses and worse, with no one having a clear idea of what had all that been about, which added to everyones stress. But if the days passed and his behavior didn't change to his usual she would do more than apologizing.

"Damn, I shouldn't have reacted like that," he said. His voice was raspy. "I'm…I want to recover. Don't-"

"Don't want help right now," she said finishing his sentence. "I get it, Ollie, stupid pride and all." Ollie stood silent. She sighed. "I get it and I'll respect it. For now. One more day of macho pose and you and I are history." She looked to see a change. A smile. Something that would tell her Ollie was there, she only had to finish scratching the thin layer of darkness away. "Got me?" And she awaited for the reaction.

Ollie looked at her, for an instant looking like pondering...analyzing her words. Almost a machine. And then he smirked, leaving any dubious traces of something going wrong and returning to himself.

"Crystal clear." Then he kissed her and went to the bathroom.

Dinah let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

_**OOO**_

_**Gotham City.**_

Chloe swayed a little. "Wooooho."

Concerned, Chris steadied her. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's this transporting thing." They both left the transporter and walked inside the Batcave. "Getting into a lift that will take you from the moon to Gotham, then Metropolis, then wherever there's one of those is…" _Indescribable. Incredibly incredible. Utterly important for their job_. "It sucks, Chris. My stomach is still trying to catch up with me."

"I guess when you're able to fly, these things don't affect you that way," he mused.

"Probably. I never see Wonder Woman complaining. Though neither does Dinah."

"Or Batman."

Chloe snorted. "Chris, Batman wouldn't waver even if he had a plug sending a million volts on his-" _Language, Chloe! _"…nose."

Chris tried not to chuckle, and then pressed the question that had been looming ever since Chloe had asked him, with an incredibly forced grin, to come with him to the Batcave. "So, why did we come here anyway? Shouldn't we be seeing Green Arrow?"

"Bruce wanted to take a look at a sample."

"Oh. And we had to come together for that?" Surely aunt Chloe could not dodge such direct question, could she?

"I needed your help. I was tired, and I kinda knew the cosmic lift would…" she looked at her stomach. "Oh you know."

Truth was that the League's transporter always made her sick. But that was not reason enough for her to bring him with her. Really, aunt Chloe wanting him by her side for help? Sure. Because Chloe was a damsel in constant distress, just like Mom. It also seemed that, like Mom, circumventing questions did not really work, not even subtle direct ones. So there. "Aunt Chloe, why did you really have me come with you?"

She turned to look at him, surprised, and all he could do was raise an eyebrow, as if he was waiting for the answer. And it worked, Chris knew it the moment Chloe smiled to him the 'busted' smile.

"This whole situation has everyone worried and nervous, Chris."

"I know. but are you worried about me?"

"Of course, sweetie. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"But that is like a general rule. I mean, you are always worried about me and I don't see you making me come with you everywhere. What's different with this?"

"Honey, do you really have to ask what's the difference in this case?"

No. He did not. He knew. Dad hadn't talked to him yet, and he suspected they knew something more than he did from that day at the Luthorcorp facility where they found Tess and that lady died, and they were all very tense and nervous, but...weren't they the ones to save the day? Was he not a superhero? Wasn't he supposed to be brave and stand on his own?

"Chris?"

Her voice disrupted his thoughts and he spoke them instead. "You want to have me by your side so you know I won't go away and do something stupid like expose myself to kryptonite bullets?"

"Not…" She gave herself a couple of seconds to word her answer correctly. "Not only that, Chris. I understand your will to be the best superhero that you can, and to protect the people you care about. And it is not a bad thing at all, honey. It is not."

"But?", he softly asked.

_Give him your trust, Chloe. Let him know why this is important. Be honest. _"This is not something Superman can do alone, Chris, much less you." Chloe studied the boy's reaction. Some disappointment was there, for sure, but beyond that she could distinguish a hint of will to understand. "Honey, do you understand why?"

"Is it the reason why Dad is so frustrated?," he finally asked. "I spoke to him the other day about all this that is going on."

"Clark wants to end this, once and for all, and he knows this is not something he should be doing alone, for many reasons."

Chris nodded. "He told me. And I understood some bits," he said. "Like the fact that the world still needs Superman, so he has to save people around, he can't just be here or going after whoever did this just because it is what he wants to do the most. And that he is not invincible, and sometimes we need our friends to help us. It is something like that, right?"

"More or less, sweetie. He has not stopped his duties, and he has relied on the hero community to be able to spend more time around home. You, and Lois. Especially now."

"I get that, aunt Chloe. It's just-"

"The Justice League exists for a reason, Chris, and that means, in this case, taking both the bold and right choice. Don't let that make Clark look a coward in your eyes."

"I don't," he quickly said.

"But you think that if you do the same as Clark you are one."

"I…" Chris had to stop and think of Chloe's words.

"Honey, you are a part of this big especial family, and you have just naturally accepted it, don't let it bother you. I am proud of you for that. We help each other, and we let others help when we must."

Chris looked around the Batcave, then back at CHloe, then at the spot where Bruce always worked, and then back at Chloe again, with an eyebrow lifting.

She chuckled. "Bruce doesn't count." She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him forward. "C'mon, let's get this to the Bat, and then you and I are going to have dinner together. Sounds good?"

Chris smiled. "Like family, huh?"

Both corners of Chloe's lips lifted, reaching her eyes. "That's right," she said ruffling his hair a little. Then she took the small suitcase and opened it on a table. It contained a vial and a note.

"Who's this blood from?," asked Chris.

"Ollie."

"But…"

"Remember when I told you Bruce doesn't always do things by the book?"

"Um…yeah."

"He asked me to bring him some of the blood we took from Oliver after he woke up."

"He is onto something?," asked Chris.

"When is he not?"

"You think awaking might have triggered something on him?"

"Honey, I have no idea. Dinah hasn't mentioned anything and he's been as usual with me. But when Bruce is still digging…"

"It makes sense, right?"

"Sense?," she asked.

"Batman always seeks for answers," he started explaining, "he looks at what we all can see and then, if something still does not feel right, he goes for what's missing. Goes for what we don't see or simply does not exist. Sometimes the answers lay in what's not there."

"I'm impressed," said Chloe.

Chris smiled at the display of respect from his aunt, someone he had learned to respect and be fond of rather quickly. No wonder her and Mom were family. "Tim is with Young Justice, and he still trains with Batman, so…"

"Well, you're right, sweetie. So let's hope Bruce sees what there's missing here."

Chloe turned with Chris and returned to the lift, thinking , despite her smiles to Chris, how much all this stung. Bruce was probably right, and she had been wanting to lie to herself, but there was something about Ollie. As much as, she realized, Dinah tried to shrug it off in public, or she tried to deny it.

Just as the door was opening, they heard a voice in the background. "I will get on that sample as soon as I return." They turned to see Batman getting ready to go on patrol. "Lois ok?," he asked Chris.

"Yes, sir," he nervously said. Bruce Wayne was very imposing when he put on his costume. "Backaches and all she's just alright. I think. I mean, I'm sure Dr. Hamilton told you and all, and she…well, you know mom, always ahead of the rest and not letting dad hover all day around her and-" Chris missed the slight curvature on Bruce's lips, but Chloe's chuckle at his unavoidable babbling was quite clear. He let out a tiny sigh and merely shut his mouth.

"Just your ordinary Lois with a few extra pounds of one very active baby and a forced maternity leave on our shoulders to deal with," said Chloe.

"I guess she's a little cranky," confessed Chris, mentally scolding himself for acting like such a kid whenever he was around Batman.

"Any changes in Oliver?," he asked, back to business.

"No. Dinah's not saying, but I think she's worried too."

He nodded. "Helena told me the same. Thank you, Chloe." He put the cowl on and walked to the car. "You know the way out. Get some rest."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

Clark finished the paper on Met-U student demonstrations against the new education plan, and let the silence in the house fill his senses. It was his little ritual before he let his ears rest on his personal favorite sound in the whole world. A heartbeat that had miraculously turned into a set of two different rhythms. The adult one was beating at a relaxed pace, leaving him with a smile. Getting Lois to rest acknowledging that she needed it, without making her feel useless or weak, was becoming a craft.

Still, when he looked at the watch he decided it was time to wake her up. She had skipped a more usual naptime because of a sudden need to organize the nursery, and her body had demanded a rest later on. Before closing her eyes she had made Clark promise he would wake her up to have dinner together.

Lois was sleeping on her side, legs slightly curved to give her lower back an extra relief. Clark winced unconsciously thinking about that, and got on the bed, peering over Lois' shoulder to see her peacefully asleep. "Lois, you never make this easy," he whispered to himself. She seemed so tranquil that he hated the idea of waking her up. But the alternative wasn't pleasant, so. So. He planned his strategy, and having made a decision, he leaned down, resting his head on his right hand and propping the elbow so he could see her face as he woke her up. The room was warm, so he took the blanket covering her body and waited for a reaction.

Nothing. Asleep as a rock. "Oh, Rao." And the baby was resting too. "Lois," he whispered. "Lois." A little louder this time. She stirred. And somehow felt a very comfortable warm pillow on her back and instinctively snuggled. Clark melted into a puddle and wondered who was the hormonal one, because he swore a tear wanted to escape his eye at the sight.

He placed the rebel strand of hair behind her ear and nibbled it. "Lois, honey, it's late."

"Hmmmm." And she snuggled a little closer.

Chuckling at the child-like pose but encouraged by the fact that she was half awake and had not demanded his head on a plate, Clark ventured a kiss on her temple and a slightly higher volume. "Time to wake up, Miss Lane."

A hazel orb appeared, surveyed its surroundings and landed on the pair of cerulean eyes looking back. "Says who?"

"Said you. I'm just the messenger."

"Ugh." But she didn't move.

Clark placed his free hand on her belly and let a contended smile, increased when hers covered it and pressed on the rounded surface. "Baby's asleep."

"Mmmh. Gave me a miraculously peaceful nap."

Clark leaned on the belly careful not to deprive Lois from her newfound kryptonian pillow. "Good…"

"Girl."

"Good girl," he told the baby. "That's how you treat your mom, hear me?"

As if on cue, his hand felt a slight pressure against it.

Lois sighed. "Guess she takes after her mommy."

"She'll be a handful then."

"That's why you are the father. I don't think an ordinary human could handle this future terror. Luckily, she also gets a sibling."

"Chris is so looking forward to meeting her."

"I know."

They both stayed on the bed in silence, hands together, relishing the peace they had found in the moment. "Back ok?"

"Yeah. Laying down like this gives it some relief."

"I'm glad to hear that." He let his hand travel around her belly, and as long as Lois didn't say anything, planned not to move an inch, content he was getting her to stay in bed longer. "I finished my article," he said.

"Good." Pause. "Any work tonight?"

"Not unless I'm specifically needed." He kept tracing circles on her belly. "J'onn and Cyborg are on Watchtower duty and most of the teams are active."

"Full capacity, huh?"

"Sort of." There was a tinge of sadness, concern there.

"Any word on Ollie?"

"No. He's recovering alright, it seems."

"Tess?"

A very expressive silence.

"I won't deny she was a bitch, Clark, but sure as hell she didn't deserve that."

"No. She did not." Thoughts extended to other people, and Lois seemed to read his mind.

"That was unfair, and sad, and it made me really mad, honey. And it stinks, and I don't want to say it, but-"

The message carved on a wrist was clearly present in his mind. "I know."

"He did it to hurt you, Smallville. He purposely chose her to hurt you and make you feel guilty. It could've been anybody, Clark, with the very same outcome."

"Her only sin was to know me, Lois."

"Precisely the reason why this has to end, why Lex needs to be stopped and why you need to cut off the brooding attitude."

"Lois, I-"

"I know," she said softly. "And I hurt too. And Lex knows that, Clark. All control and power aside, he hates you, honey, and wants to hurt you. Even in the distance he will know you are aching because of this, and that is a victory for him. Smallville, we can't let Lex win"

Instinctively, Clark hugged Lois closer, and let himself be lost in her scent. "Honey?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we stay like this for a while longer?" He felt the body he was embracing go still and holding its breath. Then relaxing. A hand leading his to warm lips that kissed his knuckles and returned it to her belly, accurately landing it on a tiny body part determined to remind him of the important things in life. Of Lois' statement. Not to let Lex win.

"For as long as you want, Smallville."

_**OOO**_

_**May 16**__**th**__**. Watchtower**_

"No abnormal result, Dinah."

Emil was checking the tests performed on Ollie for the third time. Nothing indicated other than a normal condition. And still Dinah wasn't too convinced, and she had already stopped concealing the fact that there was something wrong. "He's still raspy, Emil. Ollie doesn't do raspy. C'mon, doc, you've known him for years."

"Dinah, machines don't lie. I've looked and searched everywhere. It's all normal. Whatever is going on with Ollie, if there is anything," he remarked, "it's a mind thing."

"Like he's going nuts?"

The doctor motioned her to sit. "Dinah, you said he had sounded stressed when he saw Tess."

"Angry, more than stressed. And learning of Miss Parker's outcome when he woke up wasn't received nicely either."

"My thought is that whatever he was hit with made a nasty combination with his adrenaline levels."

"Well that sounds very comforting," retorted Dinah.

"Just give it some time. It's just been a couple of days."

"I don't think we have the luxury of time here, Emil."

"Dinah, the whole team is working and functioning alright with Bruce, Ollie can take a rest from the job for as long as he needs."

"I know that." How could Bruce do something wrong? He just…didn't. "It's Lex. When it comes to that bastard, everything is possible. Even him managing to fake his death, corpse and all. Damm."

Emil studied the tense form. He had learned to read her. "But it's not just that, is it?"

No, it wasn't. Dinah merely looked down and left the room, not really wanting to face other feelings with Emil or anybody else. There was one problem, though. Doctors could be dodged. Friends not. "Lousy excuse to ignore a big truth, birdie."

The voice sounded from behind, just by the door she'd just passed. Dinah didn't turn as she heard the steps walk towards her. She merely waited for the slim body to catch up with her. "Since when do you eavesdrop, Helena?"

"Since I spend half my time with Zinda and the other half with Bruce," she deadpanned. "But don't worry, I only do it when I'm really concerned. And I keep my calendar updated too, y'know."

Dinah sighed.

Bull's-eye. They kept walking as she talked. "We all lost her and a good portion of our lives went to shit that night. But she was your best friend. And you were hers. And still you were the one holding on and keeping the rest of us on our feet. I always wondered how you did it. You've always been a strong one, but you're also a mush-mass. Ollie held you together, right? And with the first anniversary just around the corner you feel you need that wall."

Dinah didn't deny it, nor rejected her friend's words. "I've already told you about what happened."

"About Lex being alive and all?" A nod. "Bruce is working on that too."

"I don't think Lex has forgotten the date either," said Dinah.

"I don't think he will resurface this soon."

No point in discussing it. They wouldn't know until he decided them to. They walked in silence. Dinah couldn't help a tiny smile when she felt Helena's hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. "For the record, yes. Ollie was there for me. And now he's the one in need, and for a moment there I feared I couldn't give him enough support. I just realized I was wrong. I have more walls than I thought."

"Really?"

"Huhuh."

"Go figure."

Dinah gave her a kiss on the cheek and felt an instant blush on her friend. "Softie."

_**OOOOO**_


	19. Chapter 18: The sounds blurring away

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T - mild language.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Chapter 18**__** "The sounds blurring away" **_

_**26**__**th**__** May. Metropolis**_

"You'd think it's about time we got ourselves some nice weather." After a rainy week, Metropolis' sky had decided to give the city a beautiful sunny day.

"Definitely," said Clark, mentally thanking meteorology for granting him some sun at last. Lois had woken up in a grumpy mood, elegantly dodging Clark's efforts to cheer her up, courtesy of her back, the damp weather and Chris away with the Young Justice for a few days, unable to visit. So when he had seen the weather he had asked her to go for a walk together. Sun always lightened her mood.

"So, how is it that you've been with me the whole morning without any impending emergency?," she asked. "I've heard quite a few on the news."

"Does it bother you?"

"No. Normally it bothers you," she said matter-of-factly. "That's why I'm asking."

"I wanted more time with you," he confessed. "And take your mind off your back."

"Honey, you always want more time with me. Who's stepping in for you while you worry sick over nothing?" A very inconvenient wince broke her attitude in less than a second.

"Over nothing, huh?" He placed his big hand on her lower back and gently shoved Lois far from the crowd.

"So it's hurting. Big deal."

"It is to me," he amended, "even if not so much to you."

"My point exactly, Smallville. I'm the one having the pains, I'm the one supposed to set the threshold of worryville."

"Lois, if it were for you you'd never put a limit."

"Believe me, I would."

They soon reached a bench. "Come on. Sit."

"I'm not Shelby, you know?" she argued.

"I know. Shelby would've sat without a word."

She was going to protest, but much to her discomfort and hurting pride, she clamped her jaw shut and just held a little onto Clark for support as he helped her body sit on the bench. "Jesusmaryjosehp," she hissed.

"A muscle pulling?"

"The damned hernia, Clark," she sighed in defeat. "I only wish it were muscles. I'd let you do your magic with your fingers and—" She stopped talking when she got to see his face. Clark didn't seem to be listening, and Lois couldn't help but smile, momentarily forgetting about her own pain just to bask in the sight. Her tone softened. "I really wish I had a mirror right now."

Clark replied absentmindedly, eyes focused with interest on apparently nothingness while gently rubbing the offensive area on Lois' back. "What was that, hon?"

Lois chuckled. "You should really see your face right now, Smallville," she said, contentedly half leaning on his broader body as his arm lifted to make space for her and kissed the top of her head as he made sure with expert hands that her back was properly positioned.

"I wish you could hear it like this," he whispered.

"Between you and Chris telling me how it is I have a close idea," she said grinning at the memory.

_**O**_

_**(Some months ago)**_

"_So it's like this, Mom, you just send all sounds out of your mind, and wham! It's all there!" Chris grinned happily, completely satisfied with his explanation on experiencing a human heartbeat with super-hearing, gladly helping Lois get distracted out of a very bad day of nausea._

"_Honey, you need to elaborate."_

"... _More?," he asked almost bewildered._

_Lois let a new nausea pass and managed to hide a chuckle and give him a nod at the same time._

"_Ok. Um…"_

_He really seemed at a loss, with her having sent Chris' explanation to rumble. Lois pitied him and suddenly had an idea. "Why don't you try with me, sweetie?," she suggested knowing fully well the result if Chris' hearing worked the same way as Clark's. _

_He was a bright kid. He'd get it._

_Chris looked at her blankly._

_Well, maybe he needed a gentle shove. "Yeah." Feeling slightly better, Lois sat up on the coach and stretched her legs, crossing her ankles on the table and patting the new empty space on the sofa. "Come, lean here."_

"_But…"_

"_C'mon, Chris, I feel better and we rarely get to spend quality time together. Get your butt here and lay down."_

"_Dad asked me to take care of you," he said sheepishly. "Not the other way around."_

_Another nausea threatened her plan and Lois shut her guts out of sheer will. Damn stomach wouldn't spoil the moment. It was time to pull rank. "Chris, it's an order." Before she knew it, his head was resting comfortably on her lap, big brown eyes peering at her._

"_Like this?"_

"_Much better. Now. Close your eyes and tell me what you hear."_

_The boy did as told, and Lois focused on his face, determined to not let any slight change on the boy's factions to pass her sight and memory. Right now, it was a frown. "I hear the traffic. People walking. A dog barking and—" Lois saw his skin turn a few lights darker. Or redder. "Passing on that one."_

_Lois snorted. "Ok, so you set sounds aside from the many, right? Tell me how you do it, sweetie."_

"_I…it's like this," he suddenly found a way to explain it, remembering that time Chloe had taught him to take pictures, conveniently setting aside the little sting his request had caused on the blonde, learning that day about her late husband. "I focus on what I like to hear, like with a camera?" He smiled when he suddenly felt a thumb rubbing his temple followed by Lois' warm voice._

"_Go on, sweetie."_

_Chris gladly shifted his ears towards the body his head was resting on, drawn by the rhythm of Lois' timidly expanding belly as it moved to her breathing. His voice reflected the feeling. "When you want to photograph a landscape, you make everything focused, but if you look on it and you suddenly see something…a tree, the shape of a mountain…a building, or a person, you concentrate…you focus on that, and the rest, even there, becomes blurry, it's like you see it but you don't look at it. And you zoom, and the picture becomes a portrait, or a macro…" The traffic was gone. People walked no more, and the dog had stopped barking. His own words had led him to her like a bear to honey. And he took a moment to explore. There was a whole world of sounds in a human body. Oblivious to the hazel eyes fixed on him, his face showed his hearing experience step by step. A new frown told he was seeking the sounds so close to him now, finding many he wanted to discern and separate. The crucible became a set of sounds he intended to identify one by one. He knew them all, but, as Clark had told him, each body had a pattern, really asking Chris to be able to identify, only through hearing, the sounds of his family. He had been secretly practicing on Chloe. The first to go were her stomach and intestines. An ugly 'vision' considering Mom was retching over the toilet when he had come. The breathing was heard by anyone, so that one was easy to discard. He just left the movement he felt on his face. Done. The little triumph was reflected by a contented smile. _

_Lois tried not to chuckle, and correctly interpreting every twitch of the face after years of experiencing it with Clark, she beamed in anticipation for the moment that was about to come. They may be the ones listening to it, seeing it. But she got to see the awe in their faces. And that was worth all the blindness and deafness that being human compared to Kryptonian on Earth meant._

_And so it came. It started with a grin provoked by Chris identifying her heartbeat._

_"You're relaxed, now," he said._

_But excited. She knew what came next._

"_Your heartbeat goes like-"_

_And then came the confused frown. A little invader he hadn't expected. Give him a couple of seconds and…voilà. Eyes opened wide in realization and instinctively he snuggled closer, as if to locate the sound. The smile illuminated his whole face, and cursing her hormones, Lois had to make an effort to avoid crying at the explosion of cuteness happening near her belly. Damn boy, he was her weakness, that he was._

_**O**_

_**(Present)**_

"Really, you two are too cute to be true sometimes."

"Cute."

"Oh yes."

"Lois I am not cute," he protested, albeit mildly.

"An adorable too."

"I'm not," he insisted, knowing a battle already lost.

"And when you blush like this? Whoa."

Metropolis had risen with the sun. For the couple sitting in a bench, it could've been pouring rain and they wouldn't have noticed.

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower. **_

The headache hadn't gone away. It was a dull pain now, but the throbbing sensation made it annoying to no end. Trying to push away that unpleasant pressure he felt over his eyes, Ollie forced himself to open them and slowly sit up.

That was when he realized he was alone. A simple note in very familiar handwriting, lay on the nightstand with a glass of water and a pill. '_Emil said you'd be having a hell of a headache. Gone fishing, be back soon'_. Leave it to Dinah to avoid complete seriousness on anything. He took the medicine and hoping for it to work soon on his empty stomach, he stood up and studied his surroundings as he walked out of his room. It was fairly quiet, seemingly with normal activity. Normal activity was good, he mused. Low activity would've been worse. Everyone thanked those moments, but to him they were no more than the calm before the storm. It usually happened. Dinah called him paranoid. Dinah, the one who had turned into a security freak thanks to Babs.

Ollie realized two seconds too late. _Fuck you, Oliver_. His own words hurt. The dark, twisted irony behind that last thought stung, and he wished someone was there to slap him hard. Must be the damn headache and all those days in a coma. He was still fuzzy, and didn't think clearly, that was for sure. "Well, at least you didn't think that aloud, genius," he muttered to himself as he walked through the corridor.

"Hey."

Ollie turned his head and saw Donna approaching.

"Feeling better?," she asked.

He stopped and waited for her to reach him. "It seems." A part of him recalled wanting to ask about how had Dinah been during his coma; the rest merely shrugged and he simply waited in silence for Diana's sister to speak.

"Dinah went to grab something to eat with Helena and Dick."

"Cool."

"Said she'd be back soon."

"She left a note."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"You're sure you're feeling alright?"

"I'm awake and walking. I certainly hope that beats being in a coma plugged to machines." _Ok, Ollie, what the fuck is wrong with you, man?_ He had to consciously gather himself and pull facial muscles to smile. Since when that was something he had to force? "I'm sorry, Donna. Just a nagging headache. It's making me cranky I guess."

"I guess having us all asking the same doesn't help."

_No it doesn't._ "Nah, it's ok. Just…forget I was a jerk." He stole a glance towards the corridor's end.

Donna read that correctly. "She's been out ever since you were brought here," she said with a softer tone. "Emil is doing all he can."

"But he's getting nowhere." Not a question, unfortunately.

"No." Ollie had his eyes fixed on the door. Donna placed her hand softly on his shoulder. "I'll leave you to see her." With a mild squeeze of her hand, she turned and left.

The room was in silence, only broken by the monitoring machines. Nothing out of the ordinary, unfortunately, was attached to her. Only a machine providing her with air and a way to breathe, an IV keeping her hydrated, the machine showing her heart…

Damn her. "Damn you Tess, always messing up with me. Until the very end." He was by her side now. It hurt looking at her. She had meant something for him, long ago. Then he had sent any chance of friendship to hell, and she had ended up in the wrongest hands. You never escaped the Luthors. Hadn't Lex said that once? Probably. And knowing he was right, the bastard. She came back and entered their lives in Metropolis without permission, knowing far more secrets than she was supposed to. Dwelling in the sands of ambiguity, deluded until Lana Lang opened her eyes and ears, literally, to how Lex controlled her, and she severed ties. Surgically. Tess was never one for middle terms. And she definitely paid for it. The woman lying on that bed was a shadow, he grimly acknowledged. Tess was gone, leaving a carcass behind.

He heard steps approaching.

"Oliver, it's good to see you up."

"Thanks for the pill, doc. You were right about the headache."

"How are you feeling otherwise?"

_Like I am not myself_. "Fine." He stood in silence for a second. "Unlike her."

"I've done everything I can, Oliver."

"So I've been told."

"I'm sorry."

"So what now? It's not as if we can call her family. I don't even know if she has one."

"I found no records. You were the closest to her."

"Me? How sad is that? Come on, Emil, you should know that half her words were a lie and the other half weren't true."

"I found no records, Oliver. Neither has anyone claimed the…claimed her. You are the one closest," he repeated.

Ollie turned and looked back at him. "Is that your way of telling me I have the honor of pulling the plug, Emil? Because it sucks."

"I didn't say it was pleasant. But given her condition and what that monster has done to her, you'd certainly be doing her a favor."

Emil went away and Ollie was left there, with a painful decision to make and a suddenly returning headache.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Lane-Kent apartment.**_

"Alright, Smallville, I admit. Keeping the back from pressure definitely helped."

"Feeling better then?"

"Much."

"Good."

"Baby behaved too."

He grinned. "I know."

She rolled her eyes. An annoying sound broke a little the peace of the moment. "So, who gets it?"

Clark stretched an arm and gave her the device. "It's yours."

"It's Perry."

"I'll leave you two alone to shout at each other."

Clark took the time to take a shower. Smiling, he thought how nice the day had been. He had placed all concerns on the back of his mind, and though to some he would have to go back, at least they had enjoyed a bliss of a day together.

The smile faded when he found Lois in the bathroom, waiting for him.

"A man working at one of the facilities you found gave himself to the police. In France. He claims he knows where Lex is."

Somehow Clark found his voice. "And?"

"He will only speak to one person."

Clark didn't need to ask. He already knew the answer.

"It's a priority case, Clark," she said.

"With a big neon sign saying this is a trap. You're not going."

"Perry informed the authorities of my maternity leave and the medical reasons. They're bringing him to Metropolis. I'm meeting him in three days."

_**OOOOO**_

_**Music notes: **_**Mika **_In any other world_ Ollie and Tess.


	20. Chapter 19: Three hundred sixty five

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T. Mild language.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Chapter 19 "Three hundred sixty five"**_

_****__**29**__**th**__** May. Unknown location.**_

One year, Three hundred and seventy five days.

Lex walked out of the medical facility pondering all the events that had happened in that time. Even the unwanted. And hated life for it.

And that hate proved to be an unexpected source of inspiration. Resolve anew he had struck hard. And it had only begun.

**_OOO_**

_**29**__**th**__** May. Metropolis. Queen tower.**_

"Oh, fuck," she hissed. Dinah had fallen asleep on a bad posture, and a jolt of pain had brusquely awoken her when she turned to check on the sleeping body beside her. Who was not sleeping anymore, but looking back at her. "Oh, sorry, Ollie. Did I wake you while swearing?"

He shook his head. "Your elbow did, three seconds ago when you turned." He saw her hand rubbing her back. "What happened?"

"I must have pulled a muscle or something." Dinah winced. "Darn, it hurts like hell."

"Turn over," said Ollie. "I'll see what I can do."

Dinah complied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock," he said while probing the sore area. "You should take more care of your back, Dinah. One day you're gonna have real trouble." He accidentally pinched a nerve, feeling the instant stiffening.

"Ouch. Ollie!"

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to hurt you. I still am a little rusty, I guess."

"That you are."

"You'll never let me use your pressure point techniques, Dinah, I don't really know why you taught them to me. I could numb the area and work better without hurting you."

Her tone changed as Dinah turned her head to look him with the corner of her eye. "Ollie, you don't joke with that, you know it," she said more seriously.

Ollie merely pressed his lips into a thin line for a second. "Come on, relax a little and let me work on you." Dinah finally did, and Ollie silently set on to work, keeping a prudent silence that had brought a weird feeling when he saw the date on his watch. 29th. A year ago Barbara had been murdered and he…

He felt nothing.

_**OOO**_

_**Gotham city**_

It was just another building, but at that moment, it reminded him of the lighthouses he saw whenever the circus reached a city by the sea. How majestic they stood, filled with life during the night, forlorn figures in the day. It was daylight, and Dick could not enter the door. The Clocktower merely awaited. And there he was, standing, unable to get inside, neither to run away. Were it not for Helena, who had insisted on coming with him, he knew he wouldn't have made it even here.

"It was months before I dared come around the place since it happened, you know," she suddenly said.

"I didn't know," responded Dick.

"Yeah," said Helena. "Completely scared to set a foot near the tower." She shook her head. "Christ, I was scared of…I don't even know what I was scared of, to be honest."

"This was more than a building for all of us, Helena."

"Will always be, right?"

He nodded and looked down.

"In a way, it'll remind us of her."

The corner of his lip lifted a little. "C'mon, I don't want the flowers to wither."

Slowly, both stepped inside the building and disappeared from the street.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Street.**_

"Chris. Stop fidgeting."

"I'm not."

"A mole could see you from a mile, kiddo, and wonder what the hell was wrong with you." She chuckled at his frown. "Relax, will you? You and Clark are making me nuts."

"Mom, we're just concerned."

"I swear it, Chris, you tell me to suck it up and you're grounded for life," she warned.

Chris froze in the middle of the street. "How could I-?" And slumped his shoulders when he saw her trying hard not to laugh. "It is _not_ funny."

"Sure it is. You're so tense I'm sure I—ow."

"What?"

Lois peered upwards and hissed another warning. "Don't you even dare, Clark."

Chris looked, and saw Superman up there, watching for them. "A kick?"

"A somersault. Restless baby has been doing that all day."

"Mom, are you sure today's the best day? And why didn't you let Chloe drive you?"

"Because Chloe has a life too, and yes, today is the day. As a matter of fact, today is the only day, Chris, it's not as if I can make the authorities adapt to my back."

"Why not? You're Lois Lane."

Lois realized it wasn't sarcasm at all. Straightening up once the cramp passed, she kept walking. "Honey, this is important." He was still unconvinced. "Look, you know how to check if I'm ok."

"No. I know how to check if both you and the baby are alive. I do not know how does a baby heart stop going ok even if it's beating." There was a very evident hint of nervousness in his voice that made Lois' natural concern for Chris stop and look at him.

"Nothing is going to happen, Chris."

"With Lex something always happens," he said softly. "You taught me that." A pause. "I learned that."

Lois spared a sad look to a certain spot in the sky. "Chris, look at me." He obeyed. "This is something I have to do. And that I want to do." She winced and cursed at the bad timing. Surprisingly enough, neither Kryptonian moved. "If anything were to happen, which will not," she remarked, "you two will be there. Ok?"

Chris looked at her for an instant. Pressing his lips, he gave a tiny nod.

Lois ruffled his hair with affection. "C'mon, then." Only to be stopped by a firm hand blocking her way. "Chris…"

"Rest a little. You can't not go, but sure you can be a little late." He ventured a smile aiming right at her weakness. "You are Lois Lane."

If Lois had super hearing, she would've heard a chuckle in the sky.

_**OOO**_

_**Gotham. Batcave.**_

Alfred Pennyworth had a very organized life, despite what anyone could think, him working for Batman. But truth was that Master Bruce's timing was impeccable. Even for the wounds. That of course took him time to realize. As abused as his body was, he would never show it to Alfred unless the butler was expecting it so. Which meant after the normal patrol, by the end of the night. Every day before patrol, and as much as his mandatory social life allowed it, Master Bruce would spend time doing research, preparing himself, knowing the enemy, strategizing. He was the best because he worked for it. So Alfred always found an excuse to come down in case the younger stubborn once boy needed something.

The day had been unusually silent. Master Dick had hardly spoken a word, and had left early in the morning. Alfred had spared a quiet moment in his room, mourning for Miss Gordon, remembering those times when he had been the keeper of her secret. His joy when he saw the bond with Master Dick. Miss Gordon always sent him a box of chocolates for his birthday. Somehow she had found out, and never failed. Not one year.

But in the Wayne manor no one had spoken of her, and with a sigh, Alfred had accepted the fact that the suffering lay on the inside. So it had been a shock to see that very familiar doll close to Master Bruce's hand while he worked. A tiny Batgirl resting close to a man Alfred had never seen cry. Perhaps sometime even the dark knight needed to let his defenses lower and show the pain.

Never one to cross borders, Alfred simply left the tray with food by his side and let his hand rest on his shoulder. A slight, almost imperceptible movement on Master Bruce's head, as if he nodded, or bowed, told him the message has been received and accepted. As silent as he came, Alfred Pennyworth left.

_**OOO**_

Bruce had purposely placed the doll where he could see it with his peripheral vision. The warmth of the hand invited him to spare a look at it, and a sad smile was hidden from his friend. Once alone, he went back to work. Oliver's analyses had given him nothing, so he had stopped looking in that direction. Now he was hunting for patterns. Tess Mercer, Chris, Mary Brooke, Isabel Parker.

He called Dinah. Phone off. Tried the JLA communicator. Same. Oliver gave the same result.

They were playing with them, and Bruce didn't like that. The only thing he had concluded was one of the options considered: that Oliver's case somehow had been a set of tracks leading them astray and loosing time. Something was wrong with Oliver, quite probably, but he could not get off his mind that such problem was partly a decoy. And today. Thinking no more, Bruce decided to prepare the Batplane ready to get to Metropolis. No accident that the meeting was precisely this day. This anniversary.

Carefully placing the doll back into the drawer, Bruce put the cowl on and went to work.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Queen Tower.**_

It was good to be back after all those weeks of medical bay on the moon. Dinah closed her eyes and felt the warmth from the hands rubbing her no longer hurting back.

"You have knots everywhere, birdie."

"You have given me a lot to worry about, Ollie, and you know 'tense back' is my middle name."

"And you're also sad." Silence. "Hope I am helping a little in that department."

She smiled. Perhaps it had all been her being neurotic, and he just needed time to adjust. "You always do."

Ollie kissed the back of her neck and resumed the backrub.

His hands were accurate, and definitely knew what were they doing. "Honey," she said.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to Gotham later. To the tower. Would you like to come?"

It started with a click. And he knew what had to be done. "No."

Dinah didn't catch the slight change of his tone. "You're not feeling ok?"

"I'm feeling quite right, Dinah."

"Ok. Um. I'll leave in an hour or so. You still have time to change your mind."

"We're not going, Dinah."

"What do you mean we're—ung!" The jab was so fast she didn't even have time to react. Once the jolt of pain receded she realized what he had done. "Ollie?" Paralized from neck below, she turned her head, eyes open wide, catching a smiling body already getting dressed.

"Now I guess you can feel closer to your little crippled friend."

A man she no longer recognized, gave her a kiss and left a whisper before leaving. "You're always right, dear. This pressure point technique of yours is a real asset." Taking the phone resting on the nightstand, he kicked it far from her, out of the room and closed the door. His voice could still be heard as he left. "Don't worry, hon, someone will come, eventually. Whether friend or foe…"

Dinah had thought she had forgotten the pain and frustration she had felt exactly three hundred and sixty five days before. She realized that such a feeling never left.

_**OOOOO**_


	21. Chapter 20: Bodies against our will

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes**: Thanks as always for the reviews and alerts and faves! Keep enjoying!

_**OOOO**_

_**Chapter 20 "**__**Bodies against our will" **_

**May 29****th****, Watchtower**

Diana was mildly curious. She had seen the genuine concern and sadness Kal and Oliver had held for that woman, and sill, the records showed the amazon reasons to think that they should consider Tess Mercer an enemy. Then again, seeing her like this, and knowing this person had been alive in the full meaning of the word, awoke a deep sense of compassion. For a moment she let her mind wander, trying to figure out how would this woman could've been as an amazon.

She did that a lot, to mentally measure some people's capability were they to be Amazons. It had been her way of dealing with mortal humans, of trying to understand, when she first arrived there, and now she kept that habit just in special occasions. Tess Mercer seemed to have had the charisma and strength, albeit not the honesty. But not one of them, Kal, Oliver or Chloe, looked at her as an enemy.

_**OO**_

"_How much longer?"_

_Diana looked to her side, towards the source of the voice. "Not long." She saw Chloe's concerned face over Oliver, but also sparing a moment looking at Tess, by whom Chris was sitting, before walking towards her wheelchair. "Leg hurting?"_

"_The stump feels sore, and I'm feeling some phantom pain," she confessed while starting to remove the prosthesis. "Normally I can control it, but…" she winced and rubbed the reddened surface._

"_It's swollen," observed Diana._

Chloe nodded matter-of-factly. "_It'll pass."_

_Diana let her do in silence while she piloted. Chris remained on the back. "This woman…"_

"_Tess."_

"_Wasn't she an enemy of Kal? Of you all?"_

"_She was…" Chloe sighed, with a tad of sadness on her voice. "She was complicated. A strong woman with too much power and an unbreakable faith in Lex Luthor."_

"_But…"_

"_For a while. Then she went against him and," she looked behind her and sighed. "Paid the price."_

"_You look sorry for her." Chloe was startled for a moment, and Diana sensed the discomfort. "I used to see all in black and white when I first came to Earth. It took me time to learn about the gray range. Sometimes I speak before thinking. I'm sorry. I know Oliver was involved with her."_

"_That is not the point."_

"_I know. And no, neither I would've let her there."_

"_You think she's not going to make it."_

"_I have seen humans pull out miracles, Chloe. And I have learned of faith, hope and strength over the years. You just have to look at Bruce, Kal." She smiled. "Your cousin." Then turned serious. "But I fear this once has no way out."_

_**OO**_

At what point, and why had Tess Mercer lost her way? A strong woman surely did not let herself fall because of a broken heart. There had to be something bigger. She sighed. It didn't matter anymore. She had not responded to any of the multiple treatments Dr. Hamilton and Pieter Cross, as a personal favor to Kal and Oliver had tried on her. Nothing. Nor the mind, neither the body. A very difficult decision loomed around them, and she had heard Oliver was not happy about it.

"Hi."

Diana turned at the voice and smiled. "Helena."

Helena spared a glance at Tess. "That sucks."

"Yes, it does. How's everything?"

"Busy right now. Oracle's on duty and that means I'm on duty. Have you seen Dinah? I was supposed to pick her up, but haven't seen her."

"She's with Oliver. At their home in Metropolis, I believe."

"Oh. No wonder she wasn't picking up the phone…"

"It's been a little rough for all," said Diana.

"Yeah. For some more than for others." Dick was not definitely having a good day, and Helena had convinced him to try and get some rest, and spend time alone if he needed it. With any luck, he would stick to Grayson and forget about his costume for one night.

_**OOO**_

_**Queen Tower. Metropolis.**_

Her breathing had quickened. Dinah tried to control it. The tension was pulling her muscles, and the back was starting to burn from the pain. Not to mention she could not feel her legs nor move her arms. Dinah had taken a little time to asses which nerves had he pinched before realizing she was not completely disabled.

Alone in the room, she moved her head around for possibilities and sighed; the damn door he had closed seemed miles away, and if she didn't control the pain and the sudden panic attack she'd just been about to have, she'd never get the hell out of that room. She needed help and she needed it five minutes ago.

By sheer will, she managed to pull her abdominal muscles and twist onto the floor, trying to calculate the fall as much as her disabled body allowed.

_**OO**_

"_Forget it."_

"_Chicken."_

"_I'm not a chicken, Babs. I'm just not doing it."_

"_Why?"_

"_It doesn't feel alright."_

"_I do that everyday and it seems quite alright to me."_

"_Babs, you're a pain. I'm not doing it, end of discussion."_

"_We're not arguing. You're simply saying no and I'm trying to understand why. No discussion there, sweetie."_

"_Babs, I trained in Japan, I've been around the world, I know an undecent amount of fight techniques, some I don't even dare to remember. I'm not going to play paraplegic just because you suddenly feel like I should know how to not use my legs."_

"_It may come in handy, Dinah."_

"_I know. I already broke both legs once, remember? Savant gone wild?"_

"_Dinah…humor me?"_

"_No. Not with that."_

"_There's a why there." _

_Her analytic mind always bothered Dinah. Especially when she was right about her. _"_I…it's silly, It's…look, Babs, just forget it, alright? You know my abilities, I'm good, I can do it if it happens. This once you'll have to trust me." How the hell could she tell her what she felt? That seeing herself in that position was a painful reminder of Babs' fate tied to a chair and it made her feel sad, and angry? It was so childlish she was even ashamed and—_

"_Ok."_

"_Ok?"_

"_Yes. I'm sorry, I won't ask again."_

_And just like that she had turned back to the computer, started working on the mission and never asked that again. Dinah never told her, but there was a little change in Barbara. Babs did that a lot. She seemd to know, to understand. And to always respect in silence._

**_OO_**

"I surely need to pull a Babs with an attitude now." On the hard floor, Dinah closed her eyes, positioned her body and made a jerk to free her arms. The move sent a jolt through her shoulders that nearly made her pass out. Clamped her jaws and regained her breathing. Once she felt able to move without throwing up, she used her arm to get to the door. The nerve Ollie had pinched she could not reach at the right angle, she needed help, and only one name she could trust right now came to mind. She willed her body to move and finally reached the door. Opening it, she got to the cell phone. Had he done it on purpose? Had it been a challenge, a stupid thing to do or a call for help? She prayed it was the last option and Ollie was somewhere there, not wanting to hurt her.

"Nice of you to get available," sounded the voice.

"Hey." She tried to sound casual, but her voice revealed her tension, and Helena would be well aware of that.

"Are you ok?"

Still, she tried to raise no alarms. She was in no condition to have the situation get out of hand. At least not until she knew what was going on. Helena would be the perfect backup. "Yeah, I'm fine. Look, can you come down to my place? I need something from you. Just…don't tell anyone."

"All…right. But-"

"Just come, Helena. Please."

_**OOO**_

**Metropolis.**

"_Come on, hon, let Chris go with you."_

"_Clark, he's supposed to be my nephew. I can't take a kid with me to the police station, for Christ's sake."_

"_But I won't go inside with you, Mom. I'll just…be having a walk with my aunt. Please?"_

"_Do you teach him to do the eye thing? Geez!"_

"_Is that a yes?"_

"_You two are disgusting. Thank this feisty one's at least half human. I swear it, Clark, I would not survive another Smallville in this family."_

After their morning discussion and finally getting Chris to go with her, Clark had refrained himself from getting down the minute Lois had mentioned the cramps, and was merely watching from a safe distance. The fact that Chris was down there also helped. They had been sitting on a bench of the little square for a couple of minutes but Clark feared Lois' patience would get the best of her soon.

At least Chris was there to do some control, trying to get whatever conversation he could.

_**OOO**_

"Why are there so many alleys in this city, Mom? Really, look at us, in the middle of a centric square and I can see two there."

"Plus the one right behind us." Lois chuckled when Chris jerked his head to that direction. "I used to wonder the same, sweetie."

"When? Dad always tells stories about you ending up in an alley." Before Lois could snort a comment on all the times she had been in alleys saving Clark, he continued. "But we're not going into alleys today, are we?"

"No, Chris. Not a single one." Another slight cramp. "I swear it, kiddo, this one has awoken with a vengeance, today, I—Chris?" Chris was tense, looking into nothing and his young face suddenly edged with strain and what seemed like pain. "Chris?" He didn't hear her. Forgetting about her own pains, Lois turned to him and cupped his face between her hands, seeing the tears on his cheeks. "Sweetie, look at me, c'mon."

"Mom, it…my ears, it—uhng!" He bent, clutching the sides of his head as if trying to block some sound, and fell on his knees, not falling because Lois had managed to hold him, moving way faster than her body had allowed her, being warned by a jolt of pain through her back.

But Chris didn't hear her hiss. Didn't realize that the square was suddenly empty, and that his father wasn't coming to their rescue. The sound was too deafening, drilling into his skull. He was too disoriented to realize that the hands comforting him had been taken away, although he heard her screams.

"No, leave me alone you bastards, get away from me!"

He fought it, he forced his body to obey him, but all his mind could muster was for him to open his eyes. And open them he did. Only to see his mom disappear into the dark amid an empty square while a red and blue figure plummeted from the sky.

_**OOOOO**_

**Notes: **Dinah did break both her legs by the hands of Savant (Birds of Prey).


	22. Chapter 21: Empty yoursel, take control

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Note**: Thanks to all as always for your reviews and PMs and everything! Apologies for the late update, when I was re-reading this chapter I found a minor plot-hole and had to rewrite part of the first scene! Enjoy!

_**OOOO**_

_**Chapter 21**__** "Empty yourself, take control" **_

_**Watchtower**_

"ORACLE!"

"Wh-?" The sudden scream jerked all her body, her knee hitting on a very sensible spot. "Ouch." Soon, she recognized the voice. "Zinda?"

"Geez! 'Bout time!"

Still dazed by sleep, Chloe pouted. "I hurt my knee."

"Hey, you snooze it, you loose it, sister. Been callin' ya twenty times now. Or more."

"Are you on schedule tonight? I thought you weren't." Chloe checked the computer to make sure.

"Why? Do I hafta have a reason to call ya?"

"Normally yes," she deadpanned. And heard a snort. "So. What's this unexpected social call for?"

"Huntress."

"What about her?"

"The social call. It was for her. She ain't picking up her phone."

"Oh," said Chloe.

There was a minor silence before Zinda spoke. "What? You're not scowling at me from the other end of the line, are ya? I mean, c'mon, I don't even know ya but you got us all wired, so I figured you'd know where's the tall dark and kick-ass lady."

Zinda's sarcasm escaped Chloe. She was right. She may be leading them all, but her work as Oracle wasn't identified with the former Birds of Prey anymore. And still she was relying on them, having found their worth as a group. And she hadn't even talked to Dinah about this. She hadn't been opposed to working as a team with them, but neither had she pushed the subject of formally re-establishing the group. And with all this going on, it would have to wait.

"Oracle?"

"Yes, sorry, Zinda. Um, she's supposed to be with Dinah."

"Yeah, well. Blondie there ain't pickin' up either."

Not only that. Chloe checked on both. Neither Helena nor Dinah seemed to be around, and with Lois' interview around the corner, she'd asked them to be available. "You're right."

"Is there something wrong?," she asked, now any sarcasm absent.

"No," said Chloe. "I'll try to contact them, will let Helena know you called."

"All right." Zinda paused a second. "Oracle?"

Chloe connected her monitor with the police station's surveillance system. "Yeah?," she responded absentmindedly.

"I'll be around. In case you need me."

She smiled. "I will. Thanks, Zinda."

"No problem. Oh and Oracle?"

"Tell me."

"You sound really cute when you snore."

She hung up before Chloe could protest. "I don't snore," she said to herself.

Or so she thought. A masculine voice suddenly sounded through the ear link, causing her to jerk and again get a blow on the same spot on her knee. "You do snore."

"Bruce!"

"Is Oliver around?"

"What am I, everybody's digital rodolex?"

"It is a way to describe part of your job," he observed. "Oliver, is he there?"

The thing with Bruce was that he hardly ever joked, so she didn't even try it. "No. He's in Metropolis." O_r at least he is supposed to be there. With Dinah_. Chloe kept trying to contact her or Helena, but neither had their phones on.

"I'm heading there right now, make sure you have him located," he said.

"You're what? Wait. Located? Why?"

"I don't want him causing any trouble."

"Wh-..what kind of trouble? Bruce, did you find something?"

"He's one of the missing pieces of this puzzle, Chloe, both the decoy and the hunter. Tag him" and keep a close eye on everyone involved in this Luthor affair, starting with Lois. Diana's on call, take her with you if you find anything to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. I'll meet you there."

"Bruce, what's going on?"

"No time, Oracle. Just do your job"

_My job_. Chloe checked the time. The interview was due in 15 minutes, so Lois wouldn't be home. The surveillance she had on the police station, monitored at all times from different angles since they got the news of this man's transfer, had shown nothing out of the ordinary. At least they could breathe on that front. But Bruce had raised all her alarms. Chloe started preparing her portable equipment as she sent the signal to Diana. Then, she called Clark. "C'mon, Clark, take it." There was silence.

The amazon arrived in a couple of minutes. "You called?"

Chloe nodded. "We need to get to Metropolis as soon as possible."

Diana straightened and nodded. "The plane's ready, we can go whenever you want."

"Then let's move." Chloe put the prosthetic leg on and walked as fast as she could, silently letting Diana take some of her load and the wheelchair, with a pang of worry already claiming her guts.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Queen tower.**_

"There?"

"No, that will—just…go lower."

Helena carefully probbed the spot with her fingers, not daring to put any pressure on any nerve until Dinah told her so. "What did he do, pull a Xena on you?"

"God, that hurts. I can't believe I taught him this technique."

"Why, you were expecting your sweetie to go all psycho on you?"

Dinah interrupted her. "There."

A quick twist and pressure from Helena's fingers and her muscles loosened, and feeling came back on her shoulders and arms though she could not move them yet. "Easy." Helena held her and helped her friend sit up and catch her breath. That had seemed to hurt.

Dinah breathed. The waiting until Helena came had been an agony, praying she wouldn't be late and worrying about Ollie. What if whatever had been done on him was irreversible? What then?

"Worrying sick about something you ignore isn't gonna help any."

"You read minds now?"

"You're very easy."

"This is really serious, Helena."

"I know, and knowing you, I don't like what you're thinking. So don't you get any radical ideas and-"

"I can't let Ollie kill anybody, Helena."

"And we won't."

"And I would not forgive myself, neither would Ollie, if I wasn't brave enough to do what must be done."

"Ok, you're just getting over the line."

"You know Lois Lane?"

"Reporter with an attitude, kicks butts and takes names, wife of you-know-who and about to make a special delivery some time this or next month. What kind of question is that?" She felt Dinah's body go very silent. "Hon, you really should keep track of who knows who around. Ollie has the list, you know."

"Does he know?"

"Clark decides who should know. I guess I'm cool or something. I was told by Chloe. Get to watch over Miss Lane when she's in Gotham."

"I thought Batman did that."

"Bruce likes hanging around her too much to be the big bad bat with her. I've been the one stuck in the shadows these last months. Gotta say, I was glad to hear about the maternity leave. Man, that woman attracts trouble."

"That woman is trouble. But she's also in some serious danger right now, and for once, not her fault."

"Meaning?"

"I fear Ollie may go after her."

"C'mon, hon, help me with your back and let's get moving. Something tells me this ain't about wasting any time."

"You got it there. Help me loosen my arms and I'll do the rest."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Square.**_

"It's amazing how can one simple sound attack a man's balance."

No. Clark forced his body to shake the confusion, to no avail. The voice in his ears was deafening, and some sort of frequency had attacked his auditory system, leaving him with no equilibrium nor ability to fly. bSoon he'd found himself falling towards the ground like a dead weight.

"I have been decades studying you, Clark. You bear no secrets to me. I know all your weaknesses."

"L-"

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

Struggling to even his ragged breath, Clark braced for the blow as his body hit the ground. Whatever it was, Kryptonite wasn't involved. The voice was using that same frequency that had suddenly taken hold of him and messed with his hearing, a deafening painful sound that forced a loss of contact with reality. He got echoes, but could not move, could not think, could not even open his eyes. In the darkness he fell, and all he could do was listen to his voice, finally making an appearance.

"This time, Clark, I hold the power. This once you are the one kneeling, and I can assure you that."

Clark focused on regaining balance and strength. "I will stop you, Lex, I will-"

The voice did not hear. Probably would not have listened. It was a one way communication, Lex had no interest whatsoever in engaging on a conversation with him. At least not for the moment. "There is a bullet aiming at Lois and the boy. One order and one of them will be dead in less than a second."

_Empty yourself of the world around you and focus_. "You will not take either." His ears stopped ringing.

"Just one bullet, Superman. You are not fast enough to get to them."

"You don't know me, Lex." His feet found the ground and anchored his body. Slowly, he regained his breathing. Strong and muscle legs flexed and hands found support as the balance reached a tolerable minimum. "You don't know me!"

"The bullet's core is pure green kryptonite."

He stood up, and his peripheral sight allowed him to see people slowly gathering. Clark focused his hearing, the world of sounds slowly making sense again despite the pain. Three heartbeats echoed. Soon he'd know.

His voice was full of hatred. Every syllable spitted with rage. "I am taking everything from you, Clark. As you did with me. And you will never be able to forget that. I will always haunt you, Clark. Always."

He could. He COULD.

"So you see, Clark. This time Lex wins."

"No." One final effort. He felt his feet on the ground. "you won't."

"You have the chance to choose. Which son are you going to save, Clark, the one you swore you'd never leave again, or the one you couldn't even dare to dream you'd have?"

The people gathering saw their hero struggling with an invisible force. Something was hurting him beyond anything they'd seen before, because it seemed to come from inside. Some even swore they'd seen him clutch his chest. As if his heart hurt. But before anyone could reach him and help him stand, they saw their hero re-emerge, as he always did, resolution carved into his eyes.

Then, there was nothing. The man of steel, Superman, was gone. Slowly, the crowd dissolved, some shrugging, too used to see the hero rise. Another battle to win. No mind thought of the suffering, of the prize paid to be their savior, of the possibility that such being could also hurt, and feel pain, and fear. No ear caught hue of struggle in his voice when he talked to no one. No eye saw a tear born of too many emotions falling from his eye right before he ran, his family in his mind, hoping to get to those three heartbeats before the bullet triggered by a shot he had already heard did.

_**OOOOO**_


	23. Chapter 22: Faith and hope fade

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**OOOOO**_

_**Chapter 22**__** "Faith and hope fade" **_

_**Metropolis**_

Trying to set the pain to the back of her head, Lois struggled to stand. The men who'd caught her dragged her to the alley and let her there, seemingly following orders; their rough handling caused her to lose balance, and Lois found herself falling to the ground. Thankfully her reflexes had miraculously found their way too, and she had stopped a very bad fall with her hands and knees. Both body parts fell incredibly sore, but she had protected the most fragile part of her body right now. Slowly she had sat to recover her breath and try to see where Chris was when she heard a shot. Next thing she saw was Clark kneeling in front of her, checking her out frantically.

_**OO**_

Clark had simply ran following the sound of the shotgun, too disoriented to know who it was aimed at. It was sheer luck he saw the bullet before it reached its target: Lois. He pushed himself faster as the world around him slowed down to the point of almost stopping, and everything blurred away as he set his senses on the projectile. Extending his arm, he closed his hand in a fist, checked the surroundings and ricocheted the bullet trying his hand not to come in close contact with it, feeling the sting of kryptonite faintly as he hit the side with his knuckles. Checking the bullet hit nothing but a wall, and at a safe distance, he kneeled by Lois, making sure they were both safe and sound, and also noticing Chris was nowhere to be seen. His hearing was still not functioning properly, and he couldn't find him. "Are you alright?," he asked Lois.

"I'm…I think so, I…Clark, Chris, he-"

"I..." Clark tried to explain he couldn't locate him, but Lois was already looking past his shoulders in an attempt to locate their boy.

It wasn't Chris who she saw. "Nonononono!"

Her body tensed in fear, but much to her frustration, she was in no condition to do a thing. Lois could not prevent what happened, just hold onto Clark hoping he was ok. "Clark!"

Clark felt something in his back; first a weird feeling, a nagging sensation that quickly turned into a throbbing known sensation. He thought he heard Lois crying his name and supporting him. A dazzling weakness and sharp pain hit him and his arms reflexively folded backwards, trying to reach the source. But whatever had hit him had been shot with surgical precision, he could not reach it, but his breathing stopped as the tips of his fingers touched a long shaft. That of an arrow. He tried to seek support on the ground as Lois, hands firmly grasp around his arms, confirmed the unwanted suspicion.

"Ollie, no! What did you do?"

Struggling against the effects of the kryptonite polluting his system, Clark turned to see their friend, only to have his effort rewarded with a hard blow on his face that sent him back to the ground, away from Lois, the arrow embedding itself deeper as the shaft hit the concrete in an unfortunate right angle. He expected Lois to scream at him, to insult him in her style, but she didn't. Why didn't she?, what was wrong with her? Then it hit him, the kryptonite. Clark desperately tried to focus and locate Lois so he could get away from her, until a feet on one of his hands stopped him.

"You are so damn easy, Clark."

_Lois_. All he could think of was her. "L-" Ollie could beat him all he could, but that did not stop him to raise his head, still trying to find her, but unable to escape from Ollie's grasp.

Lois was fighting, forcing herself to try and hide the pain she was feeling, trying to make things easier for Clark, but unable to move as she suffered the effects of the kryptonite arrow.

The bullet had been the bait, they'd known he would stop it. "Lois…" He desperately tried to move away from her, but Ollie's arms were strongly holding him still.

"I'm…I'm alright, Clark, I- unngh!" Lois tried hard, but the pain was too much to bear stoically when the love of her life was six feet away from her dying and their adopted son was nowhere to be seen. "Ollie, dammit, snap out of this!"

Clark struggled, but he was growing weaker. Whatever amount of kryptonite the'd put on the arrow was not enough to kill him fastly, quite the contrary, it was to make the process slower. He didn't mind as long as his family was alright. "Ollie, I…she needs help, please."

A strangely cold Ollie looked at her, cocking his head in curiosity, then looking at her. "It seems you're quite alright, big blue, she doesn't look quite good. Wonder what's going on with the baby." He strengthened the grip on Clark. "You can't hear it, right? And not knowing is eating you up, I bet."

"Clark, don't listen to him, I'm alright, the baby's fine, it's-"

"Oh, come on, Lois, it's not alright, how can you lie with that?" Ollie felt a surge of cruel excitement when Lois looked back at him, tearstained face, red eyes and trying to understand what was wrong with him. He relished on it. "Right now I'd say you're bloody screwed, Lane."

"Oliver, she needs help, please," pleaded Clark. "Whatever you want, take it on me, but leave her out of this."

Ollie turned to face him. "I don't want a single thing, Clarkie. I merely do what I must." Then he stood. "You talk of her as if I cared," he said to the fallen hero.

"You do, Oliver, you care," said Clark desperately trying to focus. "They…they did something to you, you're n-not yourself."

"Whatever they did, boy scout, I am not the one hurting your honey right now."

He was right, that Clark knew. The heartbeat grew faster. Lois' eyes were closed, and her hand grabbed her stomach.

"Leave her alone, and the pain will fade."

"Clark, no, it's a trap!"

"It's not a trap, sweetcakes. It's too obvious to be such. Pain clouding your judgment?" Clark crawled backwards. "Good boy," he said smirking.

The arrow far from his reach, crawling was the only thing he could do. But he didn't move far enough to see any of the pain fade away from her face. "Oliver, you need help."

"Probably. From your point of view I must be looking pretty damn screwed right now," he deadpanned. Then he bent down so Clark could look at him. "You're worried about me, aren't you?"

Clark looked, but could not see his friend in those eyes.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis' sky, Wonder Woman's plane.**_

The plane and the pilot waited for Chloe's instructions as she checked the identity of the fifth pregnant woman the thermal scans had shown her so far.

Chloe sighed in defeat. "It's not her."

"Could there be other possibilities on locating Lois?," asked Diana.

"Go back in time and put a tracker on her," she grimly said.

"Chloe, your cousin fares on her own quite well," stated Wonder Woman, knowing she was not only trying to convince Chloe out of the two people in that plane.

"I don't want her to be 'her' right now, Diana, I want her to be someone we can help, protect and keep out of harms way for a damn change."

"We all do, but she's-"

"It's not the fact that we all regard her with that 'she kicks-ass' lens, Diana. It's that she does too, and sometimes- Damn, she's not impervious to pain, despite the public opinion."

"I should know how that feels," acknowledged the amazon.

Chloe's mind had halted at Diana's words. Had she just pulled Wonder Woman out of her 'I am unbreakable' shell? Through comparing herself with Lois? For a second her brain considered using the possibility of telling Lois that one as motivation to get her out of whatever trouble she had gotten herself into. Then, not really forgetting about it, she reacted and kept looking when another beeping caught her attention. "I can't believe this."

"What?"

"Ollie's here."

"We know, he was in Metropolis."

"No, not here the city." Diana looked at her in question. "Here on the street. Two blocks away from the police station where Lois was supposed to be right now."

"Perhaps he decided to keep an eye on her," reasoned Diana. "He was updated on today's interview."

"No, I didn't set the order, and neither did Bruce." And Dinah was supposed to be with him, and her and Helena were still out of range.

And things just kept getting better and better.

"But Oliver's-"

Ollie's long-time friendship with Lois lane was well known by everyone who knew the reporter's real ties with Superman, and how protective of Lois had he been since she became pregnant. Still, as head strategist and co-founder of the JLA… "There's a protocol to follow on organized missions, Diana. When I lead tech support, nothing goes past me. He's not here on behalf of the League. And he was far from discharged albeit being back home."

"You know how Oliver feels about Lois."

"He would never put her in danger by not being physically up to the job. And he's alone."

Diana understood. "And knowing Dinah, she would have been right by his side."

"Exactly. And no one's at the Queen Tower right now."

"So what do you think?"

"I'm thinking whatever happened to Ollie was lying dormant until someone clicked the right switch. At the right moment. And we've all been too worried to try to know what was wrong to notice."

"We'll get there."

"I've tried to find Clark and Chris, but I can't contact either. Something's wrong, Diana, something's very wrong."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

Everything was out of place. His head hurt but his ears rang no more. It was all dark. Chris tried to calm himself and let the eyes get used to the darkness. Then maybe he would be able to discern something. A shape would help a lot, because he was everything but calmed. He knew what had happened, he had heard his voice as he spoke to Dad.

_…amazing how can one simple sound attack a man's balance._

He had done something to them. Mr. Luthor had hurt him and Dad, and Mom too, and now he was in some kind of transport, heading somewhere he knew wasn't good and not knowing about Mom.

_Hurts, doesn't it? _

It hurt. He had wanted so much to scream when the voice had said that. But he was tied up, and felt weak.

_This time, Clark, I hold the power._

Sweat was starting to cover his body, and the faint green glow coming from the manacles on his hands and ankles showed him what he already knew.

_There is a bullet pointing... _

He tried to keep the thoughts of what may had happened away from him. He had to get free, not start sobbing like a baby. He would sob later.

_This time Lex wins._

Sometimes life sucked, and he was really angry, but Dad would not let Mr Luthor win. Chris believed that. He forced himself to do so, because aunt Chloe had also told him about faith and hope, and how strong those were in Dad. Dad had saved Mom. Somehow Chris knew.

A sudden bright light breaking through the pitch dark forced him to close his eyes. A firm grasp on his neck and two pairs of arms jerked him out of his thoughts, only to feel the pressure of having his body pinned on the floor, following by his head hitting it. The voices of the presences he had felt in the darkness started to make themselves known. Giving orders. "Hold him, clear the neck."

The hands obeyed, and soon he felt the cold sharp needle piercing his now vulnerable skin. The part of his hearing still working could listen to the surge of liquid penetrating his body. And the voices kept talking. Ignoring him, as if he was not there. As when he was in the labs. "Is it working?"

"It should. But the serum will take longer to work on him, his system is reacting to the kryptonite, producing more defenses to make him last longer. They will also attack the serum."

So that was what happened? That why the kryptonite hurt so much? Because his body fought it? Did Dad know that? His insides convulsed against the invasion trying to take hold, air became insufficient, and suddenly, it was becoming very hot in there. So he focused on what he could, and at that moment, all Chris knew was pain. But if the bad men said pain meant he was fighting the bad stuff, then he would embrace it, and hope really hard it lasted very long, because if the serum was what he suspected it was, when the pain faded, he would become a very bad thing, a weapon Mr. Luthor could use as he had done with that woman. Like a gun aimed at the people he loved and he did not want to hurt.

As everything faded under the pain, he made himself promise he would fight the evil and have faith, and hope, and be strong; and that he would, under no circumstance, hurt anyone. He thought Dad would do so. He thought Mom would do so. Then the pain got unbearable and Chris thought no more.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. **_

"Not that I'm complaining, but how come you seem to know exactly where we're going?" Helena held on tight to Dinah's waist as she rode the bike fast among Metropolis' traffic. The helmet protected her head alright, but the extra weigh on her head made fighting the air offering resistance a bit uncomfortable, and Dinah didn't seem to be willing to slow down. Convincing her to at least turn the communication link on while she drove had been hard enough.

"I do know. I know where he is." She swerved to the right and took a smaller avenue, with less cars.

"Why and how?"

"He is carrying a tracker, Oracle put it on him while he was in a coma."

"She already knew something could be up?"

"Bruce did. I did."

"A 'just in case' thing?"

"Oracle gave me the codes. That Bruce doesn't know."

"That nifty watch you've been constantly watching while recklessly driving your way through Metropolis and making me nuts with nerves? That is some kind of GPS that'll lead us to Ollie?"

"Hopefully before he does anything he'll regret later. Hold on, we're getting faster."

"Oh, sh-"

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Alley.**_

The pain faded a little, and Clark managed to crawl further from her, but not enough. "Ollie, please, don't do this!" It hurt, but Lois refused to show it, knowing two reddened and desperate cerulean eyes were focusing on her, knowing it was the only way he could help her ease it while their brainwashed friend aimed a gun at her. She swallowed hard as another wave of pain hit her as her muscles contracted.

"Oliver, you are killing them," pleaded Clark.

"Me?," he asked faking surprise. "Not me, Clarkie. And you know that."

His voice sounded so hollow it hurt. The cramps hurt. Seeing Clark like that hurt. "Damn you, Queen, snap out of this!" She gritted her teeth. "Fuck," she hissed. She couldn't bear it anymore. She rose her head. "Ollie." She screamed harder to force him look at her. "Oliver!" Finally he turned his eyes to her. "Ollie, listen to me, they've…they've messed up with your mind, but you can fight this, I know you can!"

He looked at her, but to Lois it was as if he didn't see her. "My mission is complete now."

"Oliver, please!"

"All this pleading…"

"Oliver!" Clark had no strength left, all he hoped was for Ollie to hit him and maybe, with the force of the blow, take him away from Lois and the baby. The more distance, the less the kryptonite would hurt the baby and her, to let him the notion, if he was to fall, that Lois and the baby had a chance. They were not alone, they were a group, a family. Someone would come, he just needed to buy a little time and—the blow was sudden and effective. But it didn't move him an inch.

"Clark!"

He fell unconscious to the ground, didn't hear Lois' screams, nor he saw her double over on her knees and grabbing her stomach just when several men appeared in the scene. Oliver watched Superman being taken, then turned his eyes towards the woman. And he saw something as her captors passed by his side. "Hold it." Ollie circled them and set his eyes on Lois' face. Her eyes were shut but unable to stop the stream of tears, and her jaws clamped, probably trying her best not to scream at the painful contraction she seemed to be feeling at that moment. "Such a timing, Miss Lane." He kneeled and took a closer look at her trousers, the cloth not thick enough to stop a certain drip from between her legs. The same substance that had left a puddle behind. Something that wasn't blood. "Well, isn't this getting interesting."

"Ollie, let us go, please."

Her voice was only a thread, drained and exhausted. Too bad, it had only begun. Ollie mused about how all that would end, but soon found he didn't really care. He had a mission and he had completed it. His hand gently lifted her chin, and Ollie waited patiently for Lois to open her eyes and look at him. She finally did. "That Ollie you keep talking about. He's gone."

Lois tried to see beyond those irises, but there was nothing. The truth of his words hit her with devastating force, as did his last words before she was taken.

"You will be reunited with him, the boy, and the baby you are about to have. Enjoy your last moments."

Taken to an uncertain present, Lois looked at her former friend one last time, right before her eyes grew round for a second as she thought she saw a figure coming from a distance. A figure with a very distinctive slight limp, that made by a prosthetic leg.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Whoops, another cliffie. Next update will be quick, next chapter is already edited and ready to post.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks again for all the reviews!**_


	24. Chapter 23: To awake in darkness

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 23**__** "To awake in darkness"**_

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. **_

Chloe ran all the possible scenarios on her mind as Diana carried her to the ground. No possibility looked appealing, but she blocked out the bad and the fright and focused on carrying out her idea. It was the best plan she could come up with not really knowing what was going on and what could happen, and it seemed the only chance.

Diana carefully landed her on the ground. "Are you sure about going alone?," asked the amazon.

Chloe nodded. "You know the codes, just follow my tracker and contact Bruce. We'll need you both." Chloe could see Diana was far less than happy with it.

"Chloe, I don't like this."

_Neither do I. _"I know."

"I will accept rank," she said. Before Chloe could thank Wonder Woman for being a team player, the amazon completed her line. "For now." A little tense moment passed between the two. Then Diana sighed. "And because I know that somewhere deep inside amid all this madness, you know what you're doing."

The mere fact that Wonder Woman would show her that trust was, if anything, a motivation to get through this. "I am an asset alive, Diana. They won't hurt me."

She considered it. "For a while."

A tiny somewhat sad smile edged on her lips. "A while is all we need," said Chloe trying to sound convincing. She nearly did.

"This man, Chloe, the little mercy he's shown…"

_Mercy? Lex?_ "Let's do this."

"Be careful."

Chloe gave her a nod and gave her last instructions. "Keep a tab with the trackers, and…have medical prepared, I don't want to take any chances." Diana nodded and left, as did Chloe, each to their own destination. Chloe didn't want to take any chances, but all her insides were praying no one needed medical care once they got out, once and for all, from Lex's claws. And have this be a nightmare from which they could wake up.

But life was not always as one wanted it to be, and Chloe Sullivan knew that very well. A sudden scream reminded her of that notion and she started to run towards it, a few seconds later getting sight of what was going on.

Clark was nowhere to be seen, and a figure was struggling to get away from two other shapes.

"Get off me, get off me!"

"No!" Chloe recognized the voice, and forced her body to go faster, only to see Lois being taken, both cousins sharing a desperate look as Lois was dragged into the darkness and Chloe was confronted with another sight that made her stop abruptly a few feet from the site. An arrow was pointing at her, Ollie, in his Arrow costume, at the end of the crossbow. "Ollie."

He kept the weapon raised, and Chloe saw signs of recognition in his uncovered face. He spoke to someone. Chloe figured who was at the other end of the line. "That's it, Ollie. Tell him who's here. Let him know," she whispered to herself. Chloe evened her breathing and closing her eyes, focused in her surroundings. She heard a transport, a van, probably, moving away. Past the alley there was a parking lot used by costumers of a market. That commercial centre was closed, so the place would be empty. Enough space to have a couple of vans. Very sneaky. And those vans had gotten there in the last minute, because she'd swept the area while on the plane, and no abnormal activity had been detected. Steps approached her from behind. That was it. Not keeping her eyes off Oliver, Chloe braced herself for the darkness to follow and prayed her bravado about being an asset alive was more than a hunch. Darkness came disguised as a blow on the back of her head. She was already unconscious as she hit the ground.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Square by the alley.**_

"What's with us and dark alleys anyway?"

"We never learn." Dinah stopped the bike. "He's there," she said signing with the head.

Helena looked, but saw nothing but darkness. "Ollie?"

A nod.

Helena's training led her to make a quick survey of the perimeter. No one on the roofs, and not enough space to take them by surprise, except for the very narrow street Dinah claimed Ollie was in. "So far we're clear, I can go to the roof and-"

"No. I want you by my side. Where I can keep you safe."

"Excuse me?"

"Ollie's very dangerous, Helena, I will not have you risking yourself."

"Me risking myself? It kind of comes with the job, Dinah."

"Not on this one."

"You gonna have to do better than that, Canary."

"I want you by my side, Helena. Just that."

There was so much unsaid behind those words, Helena had to admit, that she opted not to push it. From what she'd been told on what had happened when Ollie was brought in, whatever stuff he had, it did something really nasty, and whatever Ollie had been ordered to do, he had to be stopped. "C'mon, let's meet your beau." But Dinah didn't move. "Honey." Helena placed a hand on the very tense shoulder. "It will be alright."

Dinah swallowed and started walking. Soon they saw him. He was alone, and raising his crossbow towards himself. "No, dammit." Memories of what had happened those weeks ago when Ollie got shot hit her. The woman who had killed herself when they forced her will out of her body. "Ollie!"

He turned and looked, but said nothing.

Dinah kept walking, slowly, towards him. "Ollie, put the crossbow down. We're here to help."

"Oliver, do what she asks, please. Don't do anything stupid_." Please, don't. You will break her heart and I'm not sure there's a come back from that_.

"Ollie, it's me, Dinah. C'mon, sweetheart, put it down and come with us. I'll take you home." _Don't you dare pull that trigger, Ollie, don't you fucking dare._

"My mission is done. Dinah."

The coldness of his tone claimed a tear from her. She hated it. But he did not release the arrow. He simply looked at the gun, then back at her, and curved the corner of his lips. Upwards, in a crooked smile. "Though killing a bird and a huntress won't do any harm either."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location**_

As soon as he regained consciousness, his senses brought back the pain and weakness. All he knew was that he'd been taken somewhere and he was in a dark room.

The arrow forced him away from walls for support, and it had literally nailed the cape to his back, piece of cloth he now wanted for nothing but to be ripped away in a feeble attempt to try and feel less hot from the fever taking firm hold of his body.

He opened his eyes, but the effect was the same, it was dark all around him. He was no longer in the street, nor in whatever transport had carried him, but soon he realized he was not alone.

In that very same room was the last person he wanted to be near him right now. His senses were no longer working properly, but a ragged sob piercing the silence alerted him, his body moving as away from the source of the sound as he could. "Lois."

Her voice came in a whisper. "It's ok, we're still here."

"I can't…Lois, I-"

"Still have the arrow?"

He stood silent.

"We need to take it off of you, I'm—" She swallowed her words. _Not now._ "Stay where you are and I'll-"

"No!," he said nervously. "Lois, no, you don't move."

"You are-" But the pain of the contraction reminded her of the other very serious fact in their situation, the one she was carrying inside and which was affected by the kryptonite too. _Dammit, Clark, don't be right about this now!_

"Move an inch towards me and I swear it Lois, you and I will have words once we get out of here."

A silence followed. Then a snort.

Clark felt a little relief in the tiny gesture that reminded him of Lois' strength. Even if it was to mock his try at being her. "I mean it, Lane." He said it almost automatically. But no hoped snarky comment came. "Lois?"

Lois had been trying to get command of her body, understanding the dynamics of the changes now inevitably unleashed so she could control them. She needed to be calm, she had to keep her and the baby safe, and try to help Clark when he woke up. Hiding the pains would be pivotal. But it was too much, it had been too damn much, and she couldn't hold it any longer. Clark was not the only one needing help. When she'd not answered to his try at being cocky like she suspected he was expecting, Lois decided it was time to drop the bombshell.

"Lois, honey."

_Here goes nothing. I'm so sorry, Clark._ "Did I…did I tell you about the cramps?"

"You're getting one now?"

_And it hurts like hell. _"Yes." Lois closed her eyes in another failed attempt at easing the increasing pain, and hated herself for what was happening. "Only it is not a cramp."

Realization came crushing like a fist to the jaw. Lois' words gave the punch.

"It is a contraction. I really need to get that arrow out and your help in here, Smallville, I was not bluffing. This baby is coming and I can't do this alone."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

The nerves were starting to take hold of his body once again. He had been taken to a room connected to a monitor. A camera surveyed a dark room, all he got were blacks and whites, as if the room was dark, but the images were clear. Impotent, he had witnessed Mom doubling over in pain, holding, he guessed, those cramps she'd been feeling earlier that hadn't seemed to stop as Dad had been lying unconscious.

Many minutes passed until he realized the sound was not muted. Mom had been hiding the pain all along. Knowing her, to protect Dad and to deny her captors the pleasure of listening and seeing her pain. She kicked butt so much.

Then he had heard the conversation and marveled at the strength his parents showed, both trying to protect the other. He chuckled when he heard Mom snort, but the reality of the situation at her desperate confession of the truth brought him back to the very serious situation they were in. Dad was badly hurt, and Mom was in labor and near kryptonite. And he had been turned into a bomb, with no way back. The kryptonite was slowing the process, just like the men who took him had said, but he didn't know for how long.

_Come on, Chris, you have to think of something_. And focused on that problem while trying hard not to listen at his mother cry somewhere not in his room, now giving in into the pain, with Dad unable to comfort her as Chris knew he always did.

He had to beat this. He had to believe he could. That faith and hope thing had to work if he was Superman's son.

If he only knew how.

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location**_

Coming out from a blow in the head was always a painful process, and there was a short span of time in which confusion and disorientation were all that was there. Chloe knew, she was too familiar with the feeling. But practice makes perfect, and her body had trained itself to react quickly. Once she acknowledged she was awake, she checked her senses and surroundings. She was blindfolded and alone, wherever the hell she was, and her hands were tied up to a chair. Not only that. There was something more missing: her prosthetic.

"Oh, great," she hissed.

She seemed to be in a room. A lab, probably, one of Lex's. It smelled clean, but she felt a certain dampness, surely a subterranean facility, probably an abandoned one, inactive for enough years for her to have known of it.

_Well, you got what you wanted, Chlo. Here you are. Trapped and one-legged in one of L—_

A door opened. Someone came in. "Now the family's complete. Nice of you to join us, Miss Sullivan. You really fooled me, and not many people can do that, you know. I thought you were dead."

_Lex_.

"But I'm glad you're not. You wouldn't like to miss the grand finale, now, would you?"

The sudden feeling of his hands touching her revolved her insides, and her body reacted out of pure reflex, only making it worse as his fingers nailed on her hands. She could feel his breath on her face as he spoke again. "This time I win. For good."

_**OOOOO**_


	25. Chapter 24: An inspiration to all

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 24**__** "An inspiration to all" **_

_**Unknown location.**_

She heard him move. "Will you stop moving?"

"No."

The answer surprised her, Clark not being the usual reasoning Clark. From the darkness surrounding them, only thing she could do was listen if she wanted to focus on something other than the pain coming in waves. And listening to Clark moving, or fidgeting or whatever was not helping on the calming down front. "You know, this 'assimilating Lois' thing...not amusing."

"I'm assimilating nothing," came his voice. "And I won't stop moving. Deal."

At this point Lois had buried, as deep as she could, the fact that whatever they did they were both trapped with kryptonite in a room with no light. And he was moving. A lot. And the pain she was feeling was trying her threshold of patience. To have Clark playing the hero doing God knew what, wasn't good for anyone. "Superman, I mean it, I hear you moving once more and you're toast."

"Lois, I can't stay still."

"Why not?," she reasoned somewhat nervous. "You stay still, the arrow doesn't move and keeps you quiet; and without you grunting your guts out of pain," she admitted, I can concentrate and breathe if a freaking contraction from hell comes, or I can try to figure out a way to help you, so see? Still, good. Moving, bad."

"Lois, it'd hurt even if I was frozen."

"Great, remind me of that time I was shot and in the freezer. Tip for your superhero 101, Kal-el: it hurts the same."

Her snarky remark, so Lois-like, sounded like music at that moment. Clark hoped she kept her spirits as he had found a way to do something and Lois was not going to like it at all. "So how are you doing?"

"Splendid."

"Enough to take off your jacket and toss it to me?," he asked.

Lois snorted. "Wanting to try a new theory of scent induced comfort?"

"No. Trying to test how wrong I've been all this time avoiding the walls."

"The walls, wh-" then it clicked. "No. NO, don't you dare do what I think you're about to-"

Too late. A thump on the wall was followed by a grunt hardly concealing pain, and amidst the darkness Lois suddenly saw a faint green glow. "J—jacket?" He asked with a thread of voice.

Lois took it off as quick ass he could and threw it towards the sound of his uneven breathing. "Of all the stupid things to do you had to hit your back against the wall so the arrow would go out the other way?"

Clark was concentrating on not passing out from the jolt of pain the arrow caused as it pierced his chest and focused on the task of getting rid of the projectile. "Stay there." At that point Clark didn't know what was worse, if the kryptonite inside or outside. It seemed wrong and painful any way he looked at it. Covering the arrow head with the jacket, he gave himself a couple of seconds to try and stabilize his body and breathing, the thick cloth of Lois' jacket granting him some relief from the radiation.

Lois remained silent, listening every nuance on his breathing, on his body, on his everything. "Clark, talk to me, please," she whispered.

"I'm ok," he lied.

"Fine. Me too," she lied back.

He needed time to heal and regain his strength and abilities, but time was a luxury he didn't have, so taking a breath and hoping he hadn't grazed any important organs, he held the protruding staff and grabbed the end as close from the arrow head as he could. Then, using every bit of strength left, he finally managed to break it, clamping his jaws and hoping not to bite his tongue, and took deep breaths.

"Clark?"

"Arrow's out," he finally said. Calculating where she was, Clark took the jacket and stumbled across the room, leaving it as far as he hoped he could from Lois, and finally reached her. It was just a jacket, but a jacket was all they had.

"Honey."

Clark sought her with his arms and kneeled, embracing her and letting out a sigh of relief. "I'm here. I'm here," he whispered. The world stopped turning for a moment. After their last ordeal they were finally together. Together. And nothing would break that again.

Lois moved her hands around him to return the embrace, and stopped when her hands reached something. Clark noticed.

"The other end of the arrow," he said. "Can't reach it. Do you think you can pull it out? Back is killing me."

Lois let a nervous laugh. "I thought that was my line."

Clark found somewhere a reason to smile as his hand reached her belly. "Not for long."

"Right." Then took a breath as she carefully closed her hand around the shaft. "Ok, got it. Are you ready?"

"Just do i-" The shaft came out before he finished the sentence. "Ouch."

"You didn't think I'd count, did you?"

"No. Of course not," he deadpanned.

But Lois' attention was on his wound, carefully probing it as it bled profusely. "Honey, the gape…"

"It'll close," he assured.

"Not fast enough, Clark," she whispered. "You're bleeding too much." She could feel her hands drenched in his blood.

"I won't for long," he insisted, all his concern on Lois.

If it weren't completely dark, he would've been her left eyebrow rise.

"Why are you so sure?"

And she would've seen him grin despite the situation. "I'd rather not have a very pissed off wife crying vengeance after me for dying," he whispered back. "Hon, did you have to wear these trousers?"

"Wasn't planning on getting kidnapped, and your child didn't tell me it was already time. Besides…"

"What?"

"I am not your wife."

"Yet."

"Dream on."

They shared a moment in silence, regaining awareness of their situation. "Lois, I'm not sure I can get us out in time, I-" He felt her hand reach and caress his face.

"You're here. That's all this baby and I need right now."

"But-"

"You. Are. Here. It'll work out."

"My vision and hearing haven't come back," he admitted sheepishly, guilt all over his voice.

"We'll play it by ear then."

"I'm frustrated, Lois. I don't know how can I take you to safety without my abilities."

"Is your mind so thick that you've forgotten what you just did?" She paused so her words sank in. "Three minutes ago you were agonizing with a kryptonite arrowhead embedded in your back while I was the one whining, so don't you give me that bullshit, buster. You can do something, and you already have. More than I would've ever expected." Lois felt his hand gently squeezing hers, instantly softening her tone. "You are here, and that is where me and this baby need you to be. Understood?." She let a few seconds pass. Then warm lips softly kissed her. "There is nothing, Clark, nothing that we can't do together. We'll get through this."

Always his inspiration. Relentless and full of hope and faith in him. "You're right."

"Besides," she said, "you have a whole super-powered team probably sweeping the area right now." Lois opted not to mention Chris and the fact that she thought she had seen Chloe too, both very present in her current list of concerns, together with the increasingly frightening sensation that whilst the baby might be ready to come out, her body was not getting the message. She could feel it shifting lower, and the contractions were painfully real, but…Something was wrong. And now it was not the moment to mention it. First she needed to get Clark back and as healed as he could be under their circumstances.

"You're right. We'll get out of this."

"Perfect. Now hold on, it's not really a great time to get all cuddly in here." Lois grasped his hand as another wave of pain hit her.

Clark reacted and supported her as much as he could, hoping he was indeed helping, and held onto her until he felt the tension ease from her body. "Lois, we need to get your pants off."

"Being half naked in Luthor creepyville is not something I really want to do now."

"My cape. It's dry and will keep you warm. Come on Lois, if it's going to happen we need to see-"

Realization hitting, she interrupted him. "It's going to happen, right?"

They both shared a look they could not see. Clark swallowed once. "It is."

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Alley.**_

"Saying I do not like this one bit would be the understatement of the year." The weapon still aimed at Dinah's head did not waver. Nor did Dinah move her eyes from Ollie. Or whoever had taken over him. "Dinah, we're in a very bad situation here."

"Just keep your hands on the crossbow."

"What?"

"Killing your husband, birdie?"

Dinah swallowed back a plea. "If I must. You know I can."

"You think I care? To live or die?," said Ollie blankly.

"I think you're gone, I think you have a mission and that is all your mind can process right now."

"Are you sure this is a plan?," whispered an unconvinced Helena.

"I think a bastard named Lex Luthor played you like a piano, and you're his puppet, and you do not care whether I die or live. And if I die, before you pass on, you won't give a damn, because you won't remember. You're a carcass, Oliver. You are worth right now the same I am to you. But I do have a mind of my own. And I know I can give you that back."

"You can't."

But there was a tinge of change in his tone, and Dinah caught it perfectly. "You shoot that arrow, Oliver, and it's the last thing you do. You're not faster than Huntress. Can't kill us both"

"Dinah…"

"Aim at him, Helena." It was not a request, and Dinah saw with the corner of her eye, Helena's arm slowly extending towards Ollie, the weapon in her hand. "You will not walk out of this alive."

Ollie remained silent for a couple of seconds, assessing the situation. Then he lowered his arm, but not in a surrendering way."Very well, birdie. I won't shoot." A smirk crossed his face and walked towards Dinah, his body drawing a fighting stance.

Helena saw the incoming. "Dinah."

"Kill him if I die," she simply said. Dinah braced herself. Ollie was a great fighter, and she feared the drug had been designed to affect his strength too, in an 'irrational use of force plus lack of pain' way.

"I-"

"You are the only one who can, who I trust to do this."

"If you die I'm telling Bruce."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

Contrary to what he ever thought he would, Chris was thanking the kryptonite right now. He still felt his mind his own, and years of subjection to mild kryptonite exposure made his current situation an affordable one.

What nagged at him him was the scene displaying on the screen set on the right upper corner, the one showing him the room with his parents trapped in. Mom was not doing ok, and just when he thought Dad was losing, he had pulled the hero out of him and made the impossible, finding a way of getting rid of what was hurting him. Still shaking from the memory, Chris remembered the force of the blow Dad had managed to give to his own back against a wall, making the protruding shaft of the arrow advance, the agony in Superman's face telling how the arrow moved inside until it pierced his skin and went out the other way. He had to suppress a cry, because if Dad was keeping calm afterwards, so would he. With amazement and respect, he saw the hands cover the arrowhead with the jacket and break the shaft, finally letting him free to move towards Mom, who looked like she really needed help.

The pain in Lois' face was tearing Chris apart.

_Ok, Chris. Dad thought of a way, so can you._

He was trapped inside a room, inside a lab, inside somewhere, probably below earth. It was clearly one of Mr Luthor's facilities, just like the rest just—_Hey, that's it! It is just like the rest!_ The place was familiar because all of Luthor facilities were built the exact way. It made sense. If he had complex experiments, and maneuvered all sorts of liquids and substances, and had to move locations from time to time, including his staff, what better way to do it that keep everything in the same place so there would be no confusions nor needed time for doctors and scientist to adapt to the new facility?

_Dad I found hope too! _Now he only had to find a way to materialize it. If he let himself remain contained, time would eventually run out, and he didn't want to risk it. Someone would be probably coming their way, and seeing how Dad had just taken the arrow out, who said that Superman wouldn't be the one saving the day once more? Chris shook his head. _No. Can't let the burden on Dad's shoulders, there's mom and the baby to think about. They are my priority. To save them._ And that meant for Chris to find a way to cure himself. Or stop himself if time ran out.

_That gun they used once. _A solar-particle gun. He remembered hurting, then nothing and suddenly being awaken with a doctor explaining they had taken this shot and he had been alright again. What if that liquid had been a prototype of this serum and that is what brought him back? _It's worth a try. _Ok, he had a plan. He could work with that.

_Next step is getting out. _He looked at his hands. _Not much to do without strength and tied up. _Then he had another idea. Those men had said the serum would take longer to work, but didn't say how long. Maybe they didn't know. So if he faked it…

Chris stood up, closed his eyes briefly and took a breath, concentrating on turning his face into as mask, one that concealed any emotion, letting himself be aware of his muscles relaxing, appearing normal. _I really hope the transformation is smooth like this or I am in big trouble._ Once satisfied with his face, he started pacing around the room, making his body move without hinting distress, as if he were simply waiting for the door to open. He knew a camera was filming his every move, so it had to look real. Once he decided his body language was appropriate, he forced himself to the difficult part. Perfectly aware of being within the camera's range, Chris stooped and stared at the monitor. _C'mon, Chris, don't go disappointing them now._ Dad was finally with Lois. Chris wanted to wave his arms and fists at that, but he restrained himself. _Think Batman. Batman would show no emotion._ And miraculously, it worked. _As long as they don't think Dad is a threat, they will leave him alone, and he's clearly out of any strength now._ When he thought he had been showing lack of emotion at his parent's dire situation, he started pacing around the room, casting a glance at the door from time to time, hoping it would open sometime that day.

Soon, his charade proved useful. The door opened and a man entered.

"I am ready," said Chris, privately proud of his achievement. Now to take the leap.

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

"This time I win. For good."

Chloe moved her arm slightly, trying to get the device into her hands. "Peace of advice, Lex." Chloe braced for the blow as she mentally calculated the distance to his forehead. "Never underestimate a lady on a wheelchair."

Lex didn't see it coming, being hit on his head. It was too fast and unexpectedly strong. Sheer luck. Chloe knew it, and had taken the chance.

Lex swallowed back a curse as he regained balance, head still hurting. "Your boldness will lead you nowhere, Chloe, you-"

The next blow was a kick straight to his chest, again following the sound of his voice, threatening and evidencing rage. "When you lose the use of a body part you learn to make the most of the rest, didn't Lionel teach you that?" She heard a gasp for air. _Bulls-eye_. Next move was to track his noise as she moved her right arm to retrieve the small device hidden on her wrist. "Didn't Shiva tell you of Barbara Gordon's fighting skills?"

But there was no answer, and soon the labored breathing stopped. _Damn._ He was a quick learner. Lex had muted himself, and was now surely evaluating all her weak angles. _Come on, Sullivan, move it!_ The device slipped down a little. Not enough. She had to make it slide down without Lex noticing anything, and being deprived of her sight was not helping to know.

Chloe hoped that with her hands tied he would not worry about them and tried to think as he would. How would he take advantage? He would go for her back, and that meant he wasn't definitely looking at her arms. Trusting her instincts, Chloe forced a more visible movement, as she knew she was running out of time.

"If you had tried to kill Barbara yourself, she would've beaten the crap out of you, Lex. And I'm sure Shiva had her share of bruises, that's how good she was."

Finally, her hand reached the device, right at the same time that a strong pressure took the air out of her.

"Wrong," came the voice from the face breathing on hers. "She slipped, she failed. I won." Lex pressed harder and smirked as he watched Chloe fighting for air. "And now I kill you, so I guess it comes full circle, doesn't it?"

Chloe struggled for air, but knowing she could not fight him like that and rapidly suffering the lack of air on her lungs, she pressed the button. Lights went out for no more than a second. But that was all the time she needed. The device had depowered all electronic machinery within a three square feet range. That included the shackles binding her hands.

Free and wincing from the need of pulling her arms away from his reach before her sore muscles could recover, she shifted her whole body backwards, meeting Lex' nose with the back of her head, hoping the noise she heard muffled by Lex' cry of pain was his nose breaking.

Next she unfolded her eyes, trying not to close them to the sudden burst of light they received, and quickly saw the man still reeling from the pain, sheltering the bleeding nose with a hand. His eyes full of hate, he stood up, but didn't count on Chloe's swift mind. Never a clumsy person, not even with one leg, she supported her body on the chair and took the shackles. Metallic and heavy, she used them as a weapon, and hit Lex hard on his skull, hoping he would pass out.

"We do come full circle, Lex," she said as his body fell limp. "Only it is you who loses." Chloe locked his hands. "And this time for damn good."

Lex not moving, Chloe took a second to recover herself, and using a wheeled metallic bar with a couple of IV bags hanging as a crutch, she left the room and locked the door behind her.

Once he knew he was alone, Lex opened his eyes and directed them to the chair. "They never learn." Lex pulled out a device of his own. "Never thinking enough, do we, Miss Sullivan?" The remote controlled all security in the facility, including binds. Pressing the right code, the shackles opened and Lex freed himself. "I get the upper hand, Chloe. You are all in my territory, and you've made your first biggest mistake." Lex typed the key and smirked when the door unlocked. "Take me for granted."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

Clark had his eyes closed, once more, without success, trying to listen to the baby's and Lois' heartbeats.

The baby had given them a few rests, and Lois seemed to be finally coping with the regular pains, albeit a very evident tension prevented her body to help in the process. Finally free from the arrow and the pain from the wound receding as his ability to heal slowly came back, Clark had sat behind her as support, hoping his body warmth would soothe her. "Wound's already closing," he told her.

"And the rest of your abilities?"

"Nothing," he admitted more quietly.

"No super-hearing around yet?," she asked hoping for an affirmative answer.

"No."

_**OO**_

Lois needed to hear something else, because that sensation she'd been having hadn't gone away, nothing moved and time was starting to run out. "Honey…"

"Lois, you are doing good," said Clark soothing her as he caressed her hair. "I'm sure the baby-"

No more stalling. "I don't know if the baby is fine, Clark," she confessed. "You keep telling me my body's still not fully dilated, but all my muscles are screaming me to start pushing."

His heart skipped a beat. "For how long?"

"A couple of contractions now," she said. "They've felt different, Clark, and I keep trying to calm myself, because there's nothing we can do, but I feel something's not going the way it should."

Clark held her tighter and silently demanded his body to work again. The silence he was getting as his ears functioned as those of a human being suddenly turned into a painful urge. "Just hold on, Lois."

"Clark, I'm sorry, I-"

"No. Don't be, Lois, you did well in telling me." He kissed the top of her head as she leaned on him, and didn't let her go. "We'll get through this. We will."

_**OOOOO**_


	26. Chapter 25: To take desperate measures

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 25**__** "To take desperate measures" **_

_**Unknown location**_

"I am ready."

Little knew the guard that Chris was in reality talking to himself, and as soon as the boy saw the door open, he bent his legs and propelled himself with as much force as his weakened body could muster, focusing on his rage to muffle the pain. Slamming the man against the wall, Chris sought quickly for the gun the guard was carrying and successfully took it from him, throwing it far from reach.

There was no time to think, just to act. Stripped from his abilities and running against the clock, Chris hit the guard using the hardness of his handcuffs as a weapon, hoping the man would fall unconscious before he made some serious damage. But Mr. Luthor trained his men well, and this one wasn't about to give up.

Before Chris could defend himself, the guard managed to block one of his blows and hit him on the throat with his forearm, leaving Chris out of air, taking the moment to push him back, leaving the boy in a vulnerable position. "You little son of a-"

The kick he received on the stomach threw Chris on his back while still gasping for air from the previous blow.

_No, you can't fail now, Chris!_ But he didn't see a way out until his eyes fixed on the forgotten gun. The man was so focused in beating him that he had not recovered his weapon, probably confident that he wasn't a threat anymore. This was his only and very last chance. If the guard caught him or he called the alarm he'd be finished.

_Mom, Dad, forgive me for doing this, please. Or at least live to tell me how wrong I was to use a gun. I'd take being grounded over anything if that means you're both ok_.

It all happened in a blur for him. Chris remembered vaguely grabbing the gun, aiming and pulling the trigger, not even thinking on the sound of the shot until later. He just remembered hoping not to fail and thinking 'kneecaps'. Before he realized, he was running down the corridor looking for the doctor's room where he knew the solar particle gun could be. Some time in between, he had also grabbed the remote control he was so familiar with, the one that controlled the handcuffs, taken his shirt off and placed the high-tech manacles there, without getting rid of them.

The kryptonite was still his lifeline if something went wrong.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Alley.**_

The attack was vicious, Dinah was having a hard time dodging him, and she had barely harmed him. She swallowed as she felt the crack of the ribs Ollie had just broken, pain to add to the already fractured wrist he was constantly and knowingly forcing her to use.

Dinah was out of air, trying not to fall unconscious before he did and in too much pain, plus her sight was beginning to go out of focus. She could not dodge the jab and stumbled, being awarded with his knee nailing on her belly.

"Enough!"

Dinah saw a boot slamming against Ollie and taking him to the ground, but she was too disoriented to actually see Helena, fresher and very, very angry. Probably at herself for having let her fight solo for that long, mused Dinah before closing her eyes and focusing on breathing, which incidentally, was hurting like hell at the moment.

**_OO_**

_Stupid, I'm stupid!_ Helena seethed at herself for having respected Dinah and letting her hurt that much. _Damn me and my sense of loyalty_. "Enough! Damn you, Oliver, damn you for letting yourself be taken by that bastard. Fuck damn you!" She punched him, relentlessly, aiming for his face, his chest, every single unprotected body part as she saw Dinah coughing blood and trying to get up. "You stay there, Dinah! Don't you even dare move!"

"Like I could," she half-joked.

Oliver just kept receiving blows and attacking back, but Helena was fresher than him. "You think you can beat us? You think you're better than us?" She felt Ollie's nose break with one of her blows. "You think again, and think very hard!" She kept kicking and punching, finally noticing Ollie's attacks lowering in intensity and frequency, with more defensive than offensive moves. "You do not win, you hear me?" Helena took a millisecond of his guard down and grabbed his head, slamming it against the ground. "This time you lose and you stop hurting the people I love!" The body beneath her stopped moving, and it was only then that Helena saw Ollie's eyes closed. "You do not win, Luthor!," she said. "Not this time!"

Ollie didn't move, and Helena checked his vitals, normal and steady. But he would wake up hurting everywhere. A new voice entered the picture as she heard Dinah protesting.

"Couldn't you have come sooner?"

"I did. But she seemed to handle it well enough without my help."

Helena turned her head towards the familiar voice and let out a sigh of relieve. Batman was carefully examining Dinah. A tranquilizer gun lay on the ground beside his boot.

"I don't think Huntress would've approved of me interfering," he added.

"I meant when he was beating the crap out of _me,_" she replied wryly.

Bruce looked at Dinah. "Would you have let me get in the middle of your fight with your husband?"

She rose an eyebrow. "After the third broken rib? What do you think?"

"You only have two fractured."

"It hurts like twelve."

"Serves you well," she Helena interrupting them.

Bruce and Dinah looked up at Huntress already standing and wincing while she wiped some blood from the corner of her mouth. She looked at Bruce. "But put him under something heavy, I don't think he'll stay like that for long."

With a nod, Bruce helped Dinah up and waited while Helena took his place as support. "Where don't you hurt?"

"Good question."

"Bruce?"

Bruce was carrying a drugged Oliver on his shoulders. "Diana's coming, seems you were not the only ones in trouble."

"Superman?"

"The whole family. Taken. Oracle gave herself in and now we have a location."

"She did what?," asked Dinah. "Really, what's with that family and stupid stoicism?"

"Nice Kryptonians bring it by default. Lois and Chloe just blended with the landscape, I guess," reasoned Helena.

"If you knew those two you'd think it happened the other way. C'mon, let's mov—ouch."

"You're not moving to anywhere but to medical attention," said Helena. "Maybe next time you won't be so stubborn to take your fights all by yourself. And believe me, I won't be so stupid to listen to you next time."

They started walking following Bruce.

"Helena?"

"Yeah."

"If there's a next time, kill me yourself."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location**_

"It's not working," she hissed. Clark, it—"

"I know, hon, but your body's already opening, just needs a little time. Try to—" He grew silent.

"What? What? Clark, you can't stop talking like that when your hands are between my legs and I can't see a damned thing!"

"I hear something," he whispered suddenly.

"Me ranting, what's—oh."

Clark smiled, despite everything. "It's faint, but it's there, Lois. The heartbeat is there."

And she felt like crying for no particular reason and for everything at the same time. "Oh God."

"It's alright hon, the baby's safe, bab-" More relaxed, he tried to lighten the situation. "Hey, what'd the coin say today? Boy or girl?"

There was a short silence, and the hand casually resting on one of her knees felt the warm touch of hers squeezing it. "Just healthy," she whispered. "Just for us to keep the baby alive and safe."

Clark squeezed the hand back. "It will, Lois," he whispered back. "Baby will be safe, I promise."

"Clark?"

"I'm right here."

"Strong one." Her strained voice was followed by a stronger pressure on the hand. "P-pain."

Clark's abilities were slowly coming back. Slowly being the operative word. And he had a promise to keep. He needed to get Lois to Emil, and he needed to do that an hour ago.

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

He had been right, the place was exactly like the rest. It was an eerie familiar feeling, but Chris was grateful for it. Within five minutes he had found the room he was looking for, and he barreled through the metallic tables to get what he wanted, seeing one of them had a set of what seemed like some kind of daggers, with black hilts and scabbards. He did not pay a lot of attention, the use of a gun still traumatizing him, and by accident he stumbled over the table, making the daggers fall on the floor.

One of the sheaths unveiled the blade.

The sudden hit of strong radiation made him fall, nearly out of breath, with his insides churning, and had he not seen almost instantly it and managed to close it, he knew he would've fallen unconscious. While recovering his breath a thought came to mind, and Chris left the handcuffs still wrapped in his shirt on the ground as he took one of the daggers and fitted it on his belt.

But time was running out, and Chris felt it start.

His mind was getting fuzzy, and the solar gun stopped being important. His brain did not obey him when he willed his body to look for it.

_No, dammit!_ The serum was working. He suddenly found himself caught in an agonizing state of awareness without being able to respond to his own will, and found, with terror, that the mission he had been programmed to was to kill his parents, and then himself.

He had been framed. Had been framed and used all along!

Chris hadn't gotten out of the room on his own will, he had been played, and this being the first place he'd got to? Straight for the daggers? "NO!" He snapped, and began to throw everything away. That was the only thing his body let him do before losing control of it. He cried in rage, Luthor had held the lead all along and he could do noth—No, no, he refused to believe it. There had to be something, somewhere. _Faith, Chris, have faith in yourself, darn, have faith in yourself!_

_**OOO**_

Chloe had been limping through all corridors hoping to find them when a loud crash and a cry coming from a familiar voice took her as quickly as she could to the source of the sound.

"Chris?" Chloe saw the wreckage and called him again, but didn't enter the room. The boy being out of control and her being one leg down wasn't a good combination. "Chris!"

He heard the voice and turned, and felt some kind of void, as if his mind had trouble processing Chloe's presence followed by a frightening violent urge. Desperate, he threw himself against the wall.

"Chris!"

"I have to kill them, I need to kill them, I—" He kept hurting himself, but out of kryptonite's grasp, his abilities were rapidly returning, and he felt the surge of strength palpable inside.

"Chris you don't have to kill an-"

"Shut up, SHUT UP! You…you saying it doesn't change a thing, it…it makes it worse, it-" The command was drilling his brain. He had to get out, turn right and follow the corridor. They were on the second door. First Dad, he'd stab him with the dagger, and Mom…a simple twist on the neck with a hand should—"Kill me. You have to kill me!," he pleaded between sobs.

Chris fought against himself, and didn't notice Chloe approaching with something on her hands. Didn't realize what until he felt that familiar pain. But it wasn't enough, his body was trained to function under a certain amount of kryptonite radiation, didn't she know? "I'm killing them, Chloe, and you are on the way." _Please. Please, Chloe, kill me, I don't even speak for myself anymore, I'm losing, I can't lose, I-._

His eyes pleaded, for his tongue could not gather the words anymore. He was trapped inside an invincible body, and the only thing in his way was a small woman with one leg. But more guts than anyone could think of.

Already by his side, sheltered by the power of kryptonite, Chloe looked at him.

Chris saw her. With her eyes moist, and her lips pressed in a thin line. His mind recognized those as signs of guilt. "It'll be alright, Chris, you won't hurt anyone," she told him. "I promise."

_I promise._ Those were the last two words she told him before it happened. Chris felt something weird that broke into a burst of blinding pain and weakness. He could hardly listen to Chloe's strained voice then.

The blade easily pierced the skin, twisting her guts in disgust for what she had done. "I'm so sorry, Chris."

"It's…" He fell on his knees, bringing Chloe down with him and in bleak understanding, firmly holding the dagger she'd stabbed him with as it lay inside his body, letting Chloe hugging him fiercely while she cried. "It's ok," he managed to say, a faint smile edging the corner of his lips.

Chris thought listening Chloe asking him to hold on. He was exhausted and welcomed the pain: it had numbed the urge to kill, and he simply let himself lay there, helpless, letting his mind drift away from dark thoughts and seeking for a peace he could only find in unconsciousness.

Chloe felt the body grow silent and stop moving, but didn't let him go.

She wouldn't let him go.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Notes: **_took my time to update because knowing of this cliffie I wanted to have the next chapter edited and ready to post. So I'll update before than soon.


	27. Chapter 26: Another twist of fate

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 26**__** "Another twist of fate" **_

_**Unknown location.**_

Chloe didn't let go of the body, keeping Chris tightly in her arms, nervously checking his vitals, making sure the boy was still breathing. She forced herself to wait a couple of seconds before she grabbed the hilt and pulled the dagger out in a quick move, placing the green blade back into its sheath. Now it was a matter of time, seconds, she hoped. Chloe placed Chris on the ground very gently, eyes fastened on his chest, timidly but steadily moving at the rhythm of breathing. _Come on, sweetie, you can do it._

Once she made sure Chris' wound was healing, Chloe stood up and limped towards the door. She had found no security around, but that didn't mean Lex had emptied the building. Before reaching it her eyes caught sight of a piece of cloth she soon recognized as one of Chris' flannel shirts. "Oh, honey, you broke your shirt?" She went to take it back but stopped when she saw a faint green glow beneath.

A weak voice answered her silent question.

"I...I took the handcuffs to restrain me but...I am stronger, the need to kill them, and..." Chloe turned as she heard Chris, who was already trying to sit up, one hand covering the wound she'd inflicted.

Chloe's eyes opened wide when she saw his other hand firmly wrapped around the dagger and exposing part of the blade, walking to him as fast as she could. Then she took the dagger in her hands, out of harms way. "Chris, no, sweetie, what are you-?"

He was looking down. "It—It is funny, aunt Ch—Chloe b-but I think m-more clearly when I have this a-around, and—this way I c-can't do wh-what I must." Chris rose his eyes to look at her. He felt exhausted, but his mind didn't care. "I want to kill them, I ha—have to."

"I know." It hurt to say it. "But I'll keep you alive until we figure out a way out of this one, ok?" She looked at him with a sad smile.

Chris gave a tiny nod and remained silent for a few seconds, always trying to control the bad in him. "Chloe?"

"Yes?"

"Th-thanks for stabbing me."

Chloe clamped her jaw shut, trying not to cry, and nodded once.

"S'alright, p—pain keeps me focused."

"Honey, I-"

"They need help, dad had this arrow, but he took it out and now he's better, but Mom is not a-and the-"

Chloe had stopped listening the moment he mentioned Lois. "Honey, what's wrong with Lois?"

Chris closed his eyes as a wave of sickness hit his stomach.

"Chris, talk to me," she almost begged. "You said Lois was not alright, what happened?," she asked with fear.

Chris let the dizziness pass and breathed as his mind was still his own. Feeling some comfort in still being himself, he raised his eyes to meet Chloe's. "I think she's having the baby."

_Damn. Damn, damn. DAMN_.

"I know where they are, Chloe, I—"

Chris' vitals were constant, but she knew they were running out of time, and now, with the knowledge of Lois in labor, it all changed. They had to get her to safety first, worry about Lex later. "Honey, tell me where they are, I'll get to them."

Chris shook his head.

_No, Chris, don't lose it now, come on_. "Honey I know it's hard and a part of you doesn't want to tell me, but if they...if the baby is coming..." _Come on, Chris, please_.

"It's not that," he managed to say. "It's..."

Chloe lifted his chin with her hand. "It's what, Chris?"

"If y—you leave me he-here there's no way t-to kn-know I'll s-stay. Chloe this—it is c-coming again, I can feel it."

Chloe had little time to think the situation. "What if use the handcuffs and leave you tied up?"

"Won't work, told you be-before," he said.

"Chris, I am not going to stab you again."

"D—don't have to." He looked at her with pleading eyes behind an eerie cold face she'd already seen in two other people. "I'll do it myself."

"No way, Chris, no-" his hand reached her and grabbed her attention.

"My parents are hurt and in danger," he whispered, "and there is another v-very innocent life on the line. Are you willing to risk those? B-because a part of m-me is very glad to know that. And it is scaring me to death."

There was a long silent moment.

"One condition." Chris didn't respond, and Chloe hoped he wasn't already gone. "You do not dare dying on us."

No relief came, Chris was too focused fighting the urge to do goodness knew what, while he felt tremendously weak from the wound. He made an effort to stand up and started walking. Against her own will, Chloe took the dagger and opened the scabbard exposing a fragment from the blade, instantly causing Chris to slow down as she got up herself and took her improvised crutch to help her walk. "I should've asked Lex where he left my leg before hitting him unconscious," she said to herself.

"You hurt my m-"

"Chris?"

"What."

"If you so much start saying something preposterous as 'master' I will personally see that you remember it once you're cured. Now move your ass, kid; your parents need you."

And they started to walk, Chloe, alert at the signs she'd started to see in Chris slipping away from them, made a private oath of keeping him anchored home any means necessary.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah."

"What does 'preposterous' mean?"

There was hope.

_**OOO**_

_**Sky. Diana's plane.**_

"The ribs are not the only thing broken." Dinah nodded in confirmation as Helena looked angry at the wrist her friend was now holding with a grimace of pain all over her face. "And you didn't tell me because?"

"Ribs hurt more. I remembered about the wrist once they weren't hurting so much. Damn. Now it does," she hissed.

"Gimme." Helena carefully examined it as the plane set its course to the location sent by Chloe.

An unconscious and bound Ollie was laying on another stretcher. Dinah looked at him full of concern. "Helena, I don't know how can we get him back," she whispered as her friend worked on her wrist.

"Nothing is irreversible, Dinah."

"Death is."

"He is not dead," said Helena.

But Dina showed no relief. If death was irreversible, why not other things could be too? "You don't know Lex as I do, Helena. He has done things..."

"I think I've seen more than enough this past year to have a good knowledge base on Luthor, Dinah. And he may be a walking scum, but he's not just fighting one. He's fighting all of us. And I don't think he knows what that really means."

Helena finished bandaging the wrist.

"Diana, you talked to Bruce. Does he know something we don't?"

"He wouldn't get into details, Canary, but Bruce thinks the serum affected Oliver and the other woman in a similar way than a computer virus. I ignore the specifics, but they are some kind of nano-neurotransmissors."

"And that would mean he can be controlled from outside, so see? We only have to find the computer and it is done."

Dinah was not convinced. The mechanism had some sense, but the solution so...attainable? "That's not like Lex," she insisted. "There has to be something more. Something we don't know about."

"Whatever it is, Dinah, there is a way. So stick to that and drop the bullshit."

"Damn."

"What are you, deaf today? I said-."

"No, I meant my leg. Right thigh hurts like hell."

"That too?"

Helena sounded irritated, and Dinah automatically rose her left eyebrow. For a second it felt like old times. "I'm diagnosing myself, prognosis comes following the pain, and sorry I can't locate everything when some things hurt more than others."

A cough silenced the conversation. "Fuck," he hissed. Helena rose from her place extending a hand motioning Dinah to stay where she was. Peripheral vision showed Diana was alert too while they traveled. "I failed?"

Helena walked towards him. "You tell us. Did you?"

"Not completely, I-" He looked confused. "It hurts, I need something for the pain."

"I'd say you and your pain are pretty ok right where you are. Your mission, Oliver."

Oliver glared at Helena, but a smile, albeit a slight one, reached his lips. "They took them away, that part was a success. Killing you both, on the other hand..."

Helena ignored the last remark. "Them?," she asked.

"Superman, Lois, the boy. Chloe."

"Correction," said Helena, this time her the one to wear a smirk. "She let herself be caught. We know where they are." _Or at least where she is. But if Ollie says they took them all..._ There was a chance to find all of them at once, and that was good. She hoped. Dinah's words regarding Lex were not comforting at all. Helena stiffened when she felt Dinah standing and walking towards them. She did not want her with Ollie like this. "Don't you dare do anything stupid, Queen," she warned between her teeth in a low voice.

Ollie gave her a blank stare. Soon, his eyes shifted from Helena to the blonde standing beside her.

"I don't know if you care or not, and I don't really want to hear the answer to that right now, but we are going to get you back, Oliver."

"You're right," he said. "I don't really care."

Talking to him like that was sickening Helena, and she knew Dinah was struggling to appear calmed when she was breaking inside. Helena hoped the rage would give her determination, not despair.

And Dinah simply turned, hiding her eyes from them. "Diana, how much till we get there?," she asked.

"Not long," responded the amazon.

"Make it go faster."

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

"I must be looking awful, huh?"

"As beautiful as ever." Clark said smiling as he planted a kiss on her forehead. Following the hearing, now his vision was already returning to him too, if only to an extent, but enough to catch glimpses, and so he'd told Lois. She was just a silhouette, but she was there, and he focused on her belly, his eyes slowly peeling layers, soon revealing the baby. He swallowed, the problem finally revealing itself. "I can see the baby," he informed.

"You do?"

He nodded, forgetting she could not see him. "Yes. And alive," he quickly added.

"But there's a but, Clark."

Clark didn't know what to say, his eyes looking helplessly for the door, for a way to take her out.

"Smallville."

That was the 'don't you dare play with me Lane tone'. And as much as he hated their situation, and as much as he wanted to keep the truth from Lois until he knew for sure she and the baby would be safe, there was no way he would get out of this. "The head's placed the other way."

There was an agonic second of silence.

"Lois, the baby is fine, not hurting. It just...we just need to get you out of here in time, that's all, and-"

"That's-"

Before all hell broke loose on Lois' mouth, a sudden burst of bright light forced them to close their eyes. "Wh-"

"Clark!"

It wasn't Lois' voice. When Clark opened his eyes again, he saw Chloe, kneeling by their side, nervously checking them both. "Chloe, what-?"

"I knew it was you the one I saw," said Lois, sounding as exhausted as she was but managing to smile, the graveness of their situation fading a little as Chloe's presence and Clark's returning powers meant they were less fucked up than a couple of minutes before.

Chloe smiled at her as she caressed her cheek. "We've got back up coming up, it'll be ok." Chloe looked at both. "God, I am so glad I found you too."

Lois and Clark's eyes opened wider. "'Too' You found Chris?," asked Lois.

Chloe nodded, and decided to keep the details from them, sensing it was not the time. Her eyes were set on Lois' belly. "Chris is outside, making sure we're safe." Then she gave Lois an encouraging smile. "Let's get focused on the other son, ok?"

"Don't worry, the pain and the bad news won't let me forget."

Chloe turned alarmed to Clark in question, unconsciously holding Lois' hand.

"Baby's breech, I need to take her to Emil," he said.

Chloe looked at Lois. "I don't think she's in any condition to be moved, Clark." Lois' silence agreed with her. "Get Emil and whatever he needs in here."

"But-"

"I'll stay with her. Just go." Reluctancy and doubt were all over his face, that wouldn't leave Lois'. "Clark, just go, we'll be alright," said Chloe encouraging.

Lips pressed, he finally nodded in agreement, then cupped Lois' face and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Hang in there, ok?"

"As if I could go anywhere right now," she tried to joke.

Giving a final kiss before leaving, Clark turned to Chloe once more and saw her leg.

"Chloe, your leg..."

She rose an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "Now you notice?"

Clark nodded and turned, finding Chris on the outside, standing. "Take care of them, son, I'll be back soon." There was no time for more. Giving Chris a quick squeeze on his shoulder, Clark started to run, and soon they heard a familiar sonic boom.

Holding to his dad's words, Chris held the hidden dagger tight, getting far from Lois and Chloe and ready to open it as soon as he felt the evil come stronger again.

Chloe awkwardly sat by Lois, and placed an arm behind her cousin's shoulders as she leaned on her. Chloe kissed her temple. "So. Looks like I'm being an aunt again, this time officially."

"Looks like." Lois winced and grabbed the first thing she found near her hand when she felt a contraction coming, shoving away any concern now she knew Clark was away and getting help. That thing she grabbed was Chloe's stump.

"You have a mean grasp there," she said.

"Can you cope?"

Chloe chuckled and held Lois tight. "Of course."

The pain passed and she breathed. Chloe gently cleared her face from sweat. "Damp hair suits you."

"Sure. So what happened to your leg?"

"Lex took it from me, I can't find it," she deadpanned.

"Lex took it. Do you want to kill me from a heart attack?"

"I just told you the truth."

"Well, lie to me."

"Why?"

"I'm in labor, be nice."

"Lois?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there really a safe way to tell you a lie on how I lost my prosthetic leg and have you believe it?"

A snort.

"Figured."

_**OOOOO**_


	28. Chapter 27 : Minds set on purpose

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **deepest apologies for the belated update. Exams and a contribution to the promotion of Ausxip's annual charity auction took all my time.

_**Chapter 27 "Minds set on purpose"**_

_**Metropolis. Emil Hamilton's office.**_

Clark didn't remember running out of the facility. His mind didn't recall taking off to see where he was either. As he entered Emil's office through the window, leaving a mess of shattered glass on the floor, all he knew was that he had to get there, take Emil and whatever he needed, and be back with Lois.

Lois and the baby were all that mattered.

"Emil?" Clark focused his x-ray vision and saw the man rushing to meet him.

"Clark, what's-?" He stopped slightly when he saw the glass fragments on the floor, and a lack of apology on Clark's face. It was deadly serious.

"She's breech, Emil, we need your help."

It took Emil a second to realize he was talking about Lois. Not longer to have his stomach in knots. More than a decade working under stressful and dire situations to have a well trained mind and the common sense to keep calm despite how he felt, and analyzed the situation. First thing, avoid useless questions. If Clark could have moved her, he would have. "Is there anything we don't need to take with us?" Emil walked to the clinic's OR, and started gathering a few things he figured he should add to the emergency kit he had prepared in order to be ready to assist Lois in any circumstance, place and date.

"Get any surgical equipment you need," said Clark.

Emil nodded and ran over the mental list of all the things he'd need. "Vitals?"

Clark followed him, taking every object the doctor gave him. "Both hearts steady under the circumstances, Lois' slightly quick. The baby's followed the patterns you've taught me, but-"

"How long?"

"I don't know," said Clark quietly. "I didn't have my powers until-"

"That's ok, it doesn't matter." No point in making Clark nervous or guilty. Or rising alarms where there were none. Emil grabbed the enforced blades he'd designed in case Lois' dermis developed some kind of defense mechanism he hadn't counted on, and considered quickly asking Clark to take a stretcher. "Should we take one?," he finally asked.

"No," said Clark. "It's one of Lex's facilities."

"Then that's all we need," he said looking at the equipment held in Clark's arms and hands.

Clark nodded and left with it. While he waited for him to return, Emil prepared himself mentally. The equipment he'd given Clark, and he knew the Kryptonian was aware of it, included anything needed to perform a C-section. Emil wasn't taking any chances, nor would he wait for a natural birth that had no guarantee of success.

_**OOO**_

_**Outside Luthor's facility.**_

Bruce was already waiting outside the batplane when Helena and Diana got out of the amazon's transport. "Oliver?," he asked.

"Secured," answered Diana.

Bruce considered their situation. "What's Dinah's condition?"

"Trying to figure out if anything doesn't hurt," said Helena already surveying their surroundings. "Come on, Bruce, whatever you've got planned there's no time to l-"

"We take Dinah with us," he interrupted. "She'll be safer."

"You think Oliver will free himself and harm her?," asked Diana.

_No_. Helena understood. "He thinks she'll just ignore any order we've given her and limp herself inside that place regardless of her injuries."

"Oh." _Of course she would_.

"Getting Dinah with us will be the only way we can make sure she'll be alright," added Bruce.

A tiny smile edged Diana's lips, her fondness of Dinah well known inside the Justice League. "I'll go get her."

"No need." Ignoring the eye-rolling from Helena, Dinah carefully stepped outside the plane, soon finding herself supported by two strong yet gentle arms. Not fighting the help offered, Dinah leaned on Diana a little. "Ollie's out, let's go."

"Do we have a plan, Bruce?" asked Helena.

"We go inside, we fix everything, we leave."

_Right. Of course._

_**OOO**_

_**Unknown location.**_

"Beavers?"

"They're cool," she said as she shrugged.

"Chloe, beavers are…"

Chloe forced herself to follow the conversation she'd set up, the shallowest she could make up to try and get Lois' mind off her current situation. Pain and strain were getting a toll on her, and her body was bearing tension beyond what it should at that moment. "They are cute. And they bend water."

"'Bend' water?," came the skeptical question.

"Yeah, like dams. You know," she said mischievously, "changing the course of the flow."

Lois chuckled at the 'I know your little secret' revelation. "Chris told you?"

"About how did Lois show him all her favorite tv shows and even rewatched them with him?" She snorted. "He beamed with pride all around the place. He breathes, dreams and eats what you say and do, honey," she said in a gentler tone as she saw Lois tensing again, at another contraction came it's way.

"He's such a soft- softy."

A pang of pain hit Chloe, the image of the blade entering his guts vivid, as it would be for a long time, despite she had to do it. "He's such a great boy, Lo," she said as she let her body support Lois' and rubbed her lower back in an effort to ease her pain.

Lois swallowed back a scream at the insane pressure her body was being subjected to. "Trying not to push is getting really hard, Chlo."

"I am sure Clark's coming with Emil, sweetie, just hang in there."

"Easy for you t—to say." A jolt of pain caught her unaware. "Oh fuck!," she hissed.

"I know I'm not the one in labor, but you're nailing your fingers on my arms right now, empathizing with your pain is getting kind of easy."

"No need to wait any longer. Miss Lane."

Chloe raised her head and saw Emil entering the room and kneeling, offering his arm to Lois. "Ready when you are, Lois," he gently said.

Still eyes closed and going through the contraction, Lois nodded and held onto Chloe.

"Clark told me you were in need of one of these," he said to Chloe. He made a little motion with his head and Chloe saw a prosthetic leg past his shoulder. "New prototype. Oliver wanted it to be a surprise but like I said, Clark said you'd need it now."

Chloe waited patiently for Lois to be the one to tell her when she'd be able to move. "Thanks I-" Then her mind drifted back to her other concerns. "Do you know anything about the rest? Ollie, Dinah?"

Emil knew nothing. When Clark had returned with him he'd just asked him about a spare leg for Chloe and had took him flying as fast as he could while carrying a body and not being able to protect it with his cape. Which now he could see for what it was being used. "Let's just take one trouble at a time, shall we?"

Lois, exhausted and drained, decided it was a good idea. "Right, because this baby is demanding an open door right about now. Where's-"

As if on cue, Clark entered. "I'm here, Lois, I'm here."

"You were quick," she said with tired eyes.

Clark smiled and kneeled by her side, arms ready to pick her, to what Lois helped putting her arms around his neck and held on to him, leaning until her head rested on his chest. Clark kissed her on the top of her head and carefully stood up with her. "Let's go meet this baby, ok?" he whispered as he felt her body cling on to him.

Emil, to whom Clark had first taken to the nearest room he could find in which performing anything he needed, stood up as well and led the way. "I'll go get everything ready."

Clark nodded to him and turned his attention to Lois. "Where's Chris?," he asked.

"He was just outside a couple of minutes ago. Kept telling us to hang on, that he was watching from outside."

"He's not there?" Chloe tried to sound casual, but her eyes, looking at Clark, spoke otherwise.

"What in the freaking heaven was that boy thinking?," protested Lois.

Chloe fastened the leg at a quicker pace, all alarms calling her to find Chris before he had done something drastic as she tried to figure out an excuse to keep Lois from more stress. As much as they could, anyway. "Maybe he's…checking the perimeter," she finally said.

"Damn boy, Clark, why does he have to be like me? Dammit!"

"I'll go get him, Lois, you focus on yourself," said Chloe, half focused on how well the new leg adapted to the stump. She made a mental note to thank Emil later. And Oliver. Because she would have the chance to thank him, darnit.

"Sure, go ahead, and while you're at it, try not to get yourself killed and tell that kid of mine to fucking stop worrying me when I'm in labor with another one. Minus the 'fucking' part," she warned. "And drag him back by the hair if you must, what the hell was he thinking?"

"He was worried about you, Lois, but he'll be alright." He must. He had located Chris' heart, and it was beating, that much he could tell. But now he needed to take Lois to the operating room they'd set up, and calm her down as top priority. "You know Chris can take care of himself." Lois and the baby's heartbeats were now constantly monitored through his hearing. "How are you feeling?"

"Scared as hell counts?," she said weakly.

"It'll be over soon," reassured Clark, not really knowing who he was trying to calm, him or her.

"At least next time you take me flying I won't be this heavy."

"Not sure. I might have to take you both."

Once inside the room, the nearest where he'd found a stretcher, Clark gently placed Lois on it. Her face looked exhausted and he smiled in sympathy.

Clark's face was an open book. "That bad, huh?," she asked.

"You look beautiful, I'm just sorry you're in so much pain. But that'll be over soon."

"Indeed." Emil, just arrived, was already pulling a syringe out from the bag he'd given Clark. "Give Miss Epidural a hi."

"But-" All kinds of concerns came to Lois' mind.

"Just calling it epidural out of habit. It's a special one manufactured for this occasion and including the possibility of a C-section delivery. Clark, sit her up and uncover her back." Clark obeyed and held Lois as he followed Emil's instructions. The doctor set the needle in position and let it get the local anesthetic inside. "Both you, your hernia and your daughter will be alright."

A sudden silence filled the room. Predictably, it was Lois who broke it. "It's a girl?"

"Um…" Emil found the patterns of the white floor increasingly interesting.

Lois' eyes searched for Clark. "We're having a baby girl?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Clark, a girl!" A smile shone on her face.

"Anasthetic's already working," Emil mouthed to Clark. "Perfect timing."

Lois hugged Clark. "A girl, Clark, it's…it's really happening, we-"

He kissed her. "I know." He set her back down. "Listen, I have to get back for Chloe and Chris. I'll be back in a minute."

"Go, Clark, I'll get everything ready," said Emil.

Clark nodded and left, found Chloe already standing outside. "You're quick. This-"

Chloe turned her head at the sound of his voice and alarmed extended her arm. "Clark, stay there!," she whispered.

Chloe was walking on the opposite direction, and soon Clark saw a pair of boots on the floor. He knew those boots. He had bought those boots. "Chris!"

"Clark, n-"

No time. Clark hadn't seen the kryptonite blade half inserted on Chris' chest, and he fell on the floor in pain. Chloe was already kneeling, looking for the scabbard. "Dammit, Chris, you hang in there!"

His voice was hardly audible. "It came ag—again, Chloe, I—I want to kill them s—so badly, I-"

"Where is it, Chris, where'd you put the scabbard?"

Clark tried to get up, confused by what was going on, disoriented by the kryptonite and focused on finding who had stabbed the boy. Then Chloe's question hit him. He had stabbed himself.

"If I k—kill you it all-it will g—go away, I-"

"He was shot with whatever they hit Isabel and Ollie, Clark." Chloe searched the floor, and finally found the black metal scabbard under Chris' left thigh. "Kryptonite keeps him grounded. Your son took it to the letter." Half furious, half worried to death, Chloe took the blade out and quickly put in inside the scabbard. Chris let out a ragged cry as the blade went out his body and convulsed, being quickly held by Chloe. "Chris, you hang in there with me, or God help me you'll know what does the Sullivan wrath mean." She held the boy firmly until he stopped moving, but kept breathing.

Chris was weak, and confused, He thought he had heard Chloe threaten him, and had known she'd meant him. Then the ground left his back and it started moving, the pool of blood walking on the other direction. Took him a moment to realize he had been lifted, and a bright red, blue and yellow crest was looking at him. "Am I dead?"

"No son. You're safe now."

Clark walked with him tightly in his arms followed by Chloe.

"I still w—want to kill you."

Clark held his breath and kept quiet. Soon he felt the wound starting to close. Slowly due to the abuse he'd allowed on his body, but steady. "You won't. I won't let you."

"Are you mad at me for wanting to kill you?"

"I am mad at you, Chris. For wanting to kill yourself before harming me or Lois or your little sister. And also very proud." So very proud.

"But I do still want to, and—wait, you said sister?"

Clark smiled. "It slipped Emil's mouth."

"And he's still alive?"

"Anasthetics. The room's over there. Chris, I'll stay with you, make sure you're safe. Chloe, go to Lois and- Chloe?" Chloe was right behind him, looking into the room they'd just passed, frozen. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

"The room's door is open." Chris struggled faintly. He had no strength, and Clark's seemed to be fully returned. There seemed to be no way of escaping. "She left Lex Luthor in there, I'd bet," he spoke with a mind that he knew wasn't his. Chloe's anguished face confirmed Chris' words. A part of him was sickened by his own words, but the rest couldn't help them. "Lex is free, Dad. You're all dead."

_**OOOOO**_


	29. Chapter 28: Life in the middle

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 28**__** "Life in the middle" **_

_**Unknown location.**_

Clark looked around, jaws tight. But walls were lined in lead, there was no chance to see if he was there, and now there wasn't time to check. If Lex came, he'd deal with him. Now his family came first. Resolved, he walked back to the room where Lois and the baby waited, never letting his hearing far from their heartbeats, so far stable.

Chris knew where they were going, and didn't understand. He should be sent to the opposite direction. He shouldn't even be in his arms, with Chloe too at his side. "Dad, what are you doing? I can't go in there, I-"

"I am keeping my family safe, and that means you are coming with me."

Chris knew that tone. It was the no-nonsense one. And he was also very aware that Dad didn't use that tone unless it was a life or death situation. He hated imposing authority that way. He'd told him once that such attitude didn't bring forth respect, but fear. So Chris didn't protest and stood very still, letting his dad place him on the floor of that room and checking his wound. But a stretcher he could now see and a hand with a familiar bracelet on the wrist changed his mind. He shouldn't be there. "I still want to kill you," he whispered sheepishly at Clark in an effort to make him see the truth.

To no avail.

"I won't let you, son," repeated Clark as he placed assuring hands on Chris' shoulders. "We'll get through this, don't worry."

"Clark's right, honey," said Chloe in the same tone.

"How can I not worry?," he protested, trying to show the logic in his words and letting his eyes travel to the stretcher for emphasis. "Dad, you saw that woman, and Ollie and-"

He just didn't care. Nothing would happen. He wouldn't let it. "You're my son. And you've already resisted it for far longer than any of them did." _Wish they would have. Wish they could have. _And he spared a thought for Ollie, of whom he still didn't know anything. Then a voice gave him a much needed push.

"Clark, I'm lying in here, Emil's placed this shitty green cloth from under my tits so I can't see a damn thing of what he's doing down there and I can hear Chris mumbling stupid things around, what the hell's going on?"

"Mom's gonna have a fit," he whispered in all serious innocence.

"Feeling better?," he asked hopefully.

Chris shook his head negatively. "But glad to realize that even being evil, Mom really gets to me."

"Clark Jerome Kent-Lane, if you don't bring your butt here-!"

"Be right back," he told Chris before rushing to Lois' side. "It's ok," he half-lied. "I just put the family together. Chris is over there, so's Chloe."

"Not very excited about everyone sharing this very private moment, Smallville," she said scowling. "Chris, make sure you don't look, I don't want you having nightmares for the rest of your life." The boy didn't respond, and Lois saw Clark's face turning into a concerned expression while checking wherever their son was. She turned her head and saw Chris, a crimson stain on his stomach and Chloe checking on him. Clark's hand was still holding hers. "Clark, what's going on?"

Emil interrupted them. "Guys, this one here needs out."

Clark nodded to the doctor, but he was led to look at Lois when her hand tightened on his.

"What's wrong with Chris?"

Her tone was loud enough for the boy to hear, and he answered before Clark could mumble an excuse. "Hi mom," he said sounding as natural as he could.

"Are you ok?"

"As long as I'm-" An elbow on his ribs reminded him to shut up. The owner of the body part in question was giving Lois one of her Sullivan smiles. "All good, Mom. As long as you're safe."

"Care to explain then what is a crimson stain doing on your tee and why is Chloe holding a set of handcuffs with a 'just in case' look?"

"I wanted to kill you."

Lois blinked. Then looked at Clark. Then at Chloe. Then back at Chris. None of them was smiling. "Anything else I should know?"

Lex's name was in everyone's mind, but none spoke it. Clark, however, had an idea to protect them while Emil operated on Lois. "I'm going to close us in, honey," he told her loud enough for the rest to hear. "Just as a precaution."

"Clark, if there's something that needs your help you-"

"I am not leaving your side, and I am not going to discuss it."

Lois looked at him in silence. Then gave a little nod.

"Be right back," he whispered as he walked towards the door, already feeling the surge of heat forming in his eyes. A surge he automatically stopped as he saw Batman standing at the other side of the door, flanked by a very alert Wonder Woman, a rather bruised Black Canary and a tense Huntress, also checking everything around with her sight.

"No need for that," said Bruce referring to the still red orbs looking back at him in mild surprise mixed with utter relief.

Lois recognized the voice. "Great, just great." In that strange fuzziness she was finding herself now, courtesy of Emil's drugs and the sheer exhaustion, she felt the odd urge of slumping her head on desk, finding no amusement in this increasing gathering of people for a moment she had honestly dreamed as very private, between Clark and her. Life had just gotten in the way. "Set a neon banner on the goddamn moon so the rest of the League can also come and see me all swollen and doing half a spread eagle, will you?"

Clark, relieved to see the backup, mouthed a silent "Spinal shot."

Bruce stepped inside. "Don't worry, Miss Lane, I will not intrude in the birth of your daughter."

"Daugh—Clark, you told him?"

"I knew," he merely said. "Was it a secret?"

"Ugh!"

Ignoring her protest, Bruce directed a glance at Chris and walked towards him, visually checking with Emil that Lois was in fact within safety range, and nodding at the confirmation, albeit somewhat nervous.

"Have I ever told you how much I dislike your nonchalance?," continued Lois, ignoring the fact that Bruce was ignoring her. "Because I do, Bruce, I really do."

"We got Oliver, he's safe," he informed them, knowing everyone had been meaning to ask but none dared.

"Is he still an obnoxious jackass?," she asked while unsuccessfully trying to see what was Emil doing at the other side of the improvised curtain she'd seen all those times on TV. The anesthetic had lessened the pain considerably, but the nerves hadn't left her, and not knowing what was going on with her body wasn't helping any. Frustration was becoming an increasingly annoying unwanted guest.

Bruce was examining Chris' closing wound, and the boy whispered to him, "I want to stop being that obnoxious thing too, Mr. Wayne." A squeeze from Chloe's hand silently supported his plea.

"You will, son. Even more than Green Arrow." Avoiding Chloe's rolled eyes, Bruce turned and walked to the door. "Is he here?," he asked Clark in a low voice.

Clark nodded. "I think so. Chloe saw him. She left him in a room and he escaped. I don't think he left the place." A new presence entered.

"Don't worry, Kal, I'll guard the room." At her friend's grateful nod, she turned her attention towards the patient. "Miss Lane, how are you feeling?"

"Bad enough to avoid trying to break my hand from punching you in your ridiculous perfect face for asking the most ludicrous question at this moment of misery."

Diana couldn't help a good-natured chuckle, even if discreet. "Not reconsidering the offer to use my womb, I assume."

"Shut up, amazon."

Diana leaned down and kissed tenderly Lois' forehead, squeezing her hand. "I'm proud of you, Lois. Hang in there, ok?"

The hand squeezed hers back.

"Clark," said Emil, "we're ready." Lois' belly was uncovered, cleaned with antiseptic and the doctor's hand held the blade, ready to make the incision.

"Bruce-"

"I'll handle the rest, go to her." Assessing the situation, Bruce thought the best and safest strategy. "Diana, there's been a change of plans."

"Whatever you say."

"We take green arrow and Christopher to Watchtower, they can be contained there. Huntress," he said loud enough so Helena, not wanting to move an increasingly hurting Dinah, could hear.

"Here," she said confirming she'd heard him.

"Help take Dinah to the plane-"

"Wait," said Dinah.

"Honey, you're-" Helena began to protest.

"No, s'ok, I feel bad enough to know better than to stay and mess everything up. Just wanna nag my fave reporter a little. Be right back." Limping, she came inside and winced out of sympathy as she approached Lois' frame. "Don't stop because of me, Doc, your mother didn't."

She thought she heard a few snorts while she got to Lois' face and she saw Chris walking out, tense while surely restraining himself from hurting his mother and angry at his mind, somewhere between himself and the monster they wanted to program him to be. "Hey, I heard you're about to have a baby."

Lois raised her eyes towards her friend and smirked. "I'm already celebrating the end of the mother-hens era."

A blond eyebrow found a way to rise towards the line of hair covering a forehead. "Are you kidding me? It gets worse now."

Lois studied her friend for a few seconds. "You look awful, Dinah."

"Thanks."

"Heard your beau's safe."

"He knew better than to mess with us."

"That's our Ollie." Lois raised her hand and touched slightly Dinah's cheek. "Go cure yourself properly."

Dinah smiled and nodded. "Stay and deliver that beautiful miracle."

Lois found a gap to smirk. "Count on it."

"That's my girl. See you in a bit." Dinah limped herself out of the room, now just filled with Clark, Lois, Emil, Bruce and Chloe.

"Chloe, you could go with them," Clark suggested.

"I'll take her," said Bruce, giving Chloe a look revealing the real message as he extended his hand to her. She was not going to the plane right now, which meant Bruce knew something, which probably meant Bruce knew how to deactivate the virus or whatever Ollie and Chris had inside their bodies.

"Let's go," said Bruce. "Huntress will watch the room," he informed them.

"Bruce?," said Lois.

"Tell me."

"Kick Lex's ass hard."

"Take care of yourself and that baby of yours." He gave a nod to Emil and clasped Clark's hand, waiting for the Kryptonian to look at him. "Listen," he simply said, knowing Clark would understand. "Trust me."

Clark nodded.

"You're in good hands." Bruce stepped out, closed the door and left.

A sudden silence made itself appear, and Lois realized it marked the moment. Emil's voice followed on cue.

"Lois, I'm going to make an incision now, and..."

Lois' eyes were not in this world. They were lost in cerulean, fixed on her, like the big warm hands entangled with hers, not daring to move. Life slowed itself, and they were together, alone, in their room, lingering in their hidden place, where nothing but them existed. Somewhere afar, Lois could listen to her voice. "I trust you Emil. Just bring her to the world."

His whisper, however, sounded loud and clear. "I love you."

"I love you."

Meanwhile, a blade cut human flesh before their lives changed forever.

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **_**David Gray **__"Slow motion"_, for some reason, prompted the last scene of this chapter.


	30. Chapter 29: It is life, cope

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 29**__** "It is life, cope" **_

Chloe cast a last glance at the room as she exited it with Bruce, mind set on finding Lex. "What do you know?," she asked.

"Luthor's obsessed with control," said Bruce. "He hates loose ends."

"But you found one," said Chloe following him down the corridor to their right.

"Not a flaw per se, but a window for us."

"A change in the pattern?" They kept walking, whispering and alert.

"Something like that, yes."

"Lex exerts some kind of control on the nano-whatevers running inside Chris and Ollie, the same he did with Miss Parker, and last I knew we found nothing, Bruce."

"I know," he said. "I didn't find anything new, just put the pieces together. Like you say, it's the files never existed." Bruce stopped and motioned Chloe to do the same. He thought he'd heard something. When he was sure it was false alarm, they continued walking. "That had to be the only reason why you could not find anything."

"Destroy everything? But it doesn't make sense, Bruce, he-"

"It does not make sense to us, but for some reason it must for him. Something that has made him change his usual course of action."

It was true. Getting inside had been fairly easy, plus…Lex there, in person? It was almost… "It's too reckless for Lex."

"Maybe. But it is what he's done. So we better start looking for explanations rather than excuses."

Chloe couldn't think of any, but Bruce was right. If Lex the control freak was acting weird, there had to be a reason behind.

_**OOO**_

"You're doing great, hon." Clark didn't let go of her hand, his ears constantly focused on their heartbeats, and his body tense waiting for anything to happen on Bruce's and Chloe's side. The conversation he'd just heard between Chloe and Bruce had left him somewhat nervous but also confident. He was not alone in this.

They were not alone.

Lois squeezed his hand hard, trying to remain calm, trying to see what was happening at the other side of the curtain. "Is the baby ok?"

Emil's voice sounded confident. "Everything's going as planned, Lois, don't worry. Clark?"

Clark nodded to reassure her, and informed Emil. "Both heartbeats beating normal." Having him around, both him and Emil had decided that preparing the heartbeat monitor to bring it here from Emil's clinic would be a loss of time, and Clark's x-ray vision had guided Emil with surgical accuracy at the beginning of the operation. Now all his focus could be with Lois and Bruce. "You're doing great, hon," he said in an encouraging tone.

Lois blinked. "I'm just lying on a stretcher, Smallville."

Clark chuckled, a good deal of weigh lifting as Lois questioned his remark. "You know what I mean."

"That being one of the best investigative reporters in the world had to be worth for something like…lying on a stretcher?"

His smile turned into grin.

Lois guided his hand to her lips and kissed it. "I wouldn't be able to do it without you," she whispered.

_**OOO**_

"Thermal scans won't work in here," said Chloe checking the device Helena had given her. "He could be anywhere," she whispered.

"Hiding from us?," asked Bruce casually.

"No, he-". He had not hidden from them at all. He'd come out in the clear, but she still failed to see why, it was as if he was…desperate. Lex always fought from the dark, trying to drain them in a sophisticated guerrilla-like attack. Could it be that their relentless resistance had…? No. "But I still don't understand why."

"Only he knows, Miss Sullivan," said Bruce. "Our duty is to find out why," he insisted, "and how is he manually keeping control on Oliver and Chris. Now, the guards."

"Chris mentioned one. He disabled him, I think."

"Disabled?," asked Bruce.

"Shot him. He felt really bad about it."

They were approaching another room. Bruce slowed down the pace and whispered, body alert and ready for anything. "He's a good kid. And strong."

Chloe smiled and spoke in the same low tone. "Had a good set of examples to look up to."

Bruce motioned Chloe to stand behind him as he approached the room. She was unarmed, he was not, as simple as that. Chloe didn't even bother to protest. Only when she saw him relax his body, she stepped inside. The guard was there, lying unconscious where Chris had probably left him. Bruce kneeled and checked his pulse. "He'll live," he confirmed.

"Not that Lex would care."

There was no answer to that.

Bruce and Chloe left the room and kept walking down the corridor, which ended some feet ahead, on a T that continued transversally on two directions.

"Bruce, if there's no digital trace of the files..."

"That doesn't mean there's nothing."

Chloe realized. "Lex must have it." Lex had to have some files, somewhere.

"Indeed."

"Then I like his recklessness even less," said Chloe. It was as if he was going down with a bang, but the reason behind that…

"Chloe!"

Chloe didn't see the red dot on her forehead, only Bruce's cry and her left shoulder and side crashing against the wall as she was pushed.

She also heard the shot, felt a pang of pain and saw some blood. "Oh, sh-" She felt dizzy and almost fell, but as she grabbed her aching arm she used the wall as support and let her back slide until she sat. She heard Bruce mumbling something about her being ok, and next she saw him kneeling before her, checking the bullet wound.

"I guess he found us before we did," he said while taking off the sleeve of her shirt and tying it around the wound. "It's just a graze, this'll help stop the bleeding."

"Why isn't he shooting more?"

Bruce smiled. "I disarmed him with the batarang, but that won't stop him for long. Can you stand?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

Chloe grabbed his arm and biting back a wince, got up. "Then don't ask."

_**OOO**_

Clark almost left Lois when he heard the shot, but Bruce was fast enough to tell him they were both ok, and to stay where he was.

Lois had sensed his body tense for an instant, then relax. "Bruce giving you a hard time?," she half joked.

"Telling me to stay here."

Lois smiled tiredly. "Good Bat."

"I think they found him," he told her very quietly.

Lois remained silent for a moment, as if considering possibilities. "I told Bruce to kick his ass."

"I know."

"Then he'd better do that." She let her eyes rest on his smile. "You know? I've figured how to really get to that bastard, Clark. Like really make him mad."

"You have, haven't you?"

"Oh yes. You'd say it was about damn time, but apparently I had to be thrown into one of the worst situations in my life with the best ending ever to realize. I feel as if I had an Epiphany. It makes me feel really stupid."

"Lois Lane is not stupid," said the other voice in the room. The tone revealed a smile too. "And she's delivering a beautiful baby girl."

"You hear that, hon?"

"Yes dear, I still haven't gone deaf. How much longer, Emil?"

"Not much." The only apparent problem had been the amnion which was, as he had anticipated as possibility, denser than expected. It wasn't a critical situation, but it had delayed the process.

"So, about Lex and you getting on his nerves even more?," asked Clark.

"Not just me. We."

"We. I like the sound of that," said Clark smiling.

"I bet you do."

"What should we do then?"

"Ignore him. Let him be the least important thing in our lives."

_**OOO**_

Bruce stood in front of Chloe, knowing his Kevlar would protect them both, at least for some time. "Mr. Luthor, you have no escape."

"I have no intention of running," said the confident voice. "I don't need to."

It still gave Chloe the chills, and made her angry. Even more when she saw him again.

Lex came into light. Dressed in his usual white suit. Wearing a Kryptonite pendant Chloe hadn't seen before, but big enough to kill Clark if he dared come near him.

Bruce made a quick assessment of the situation, eyes rapidly fixing on the black object in his left hand. He needed to know what was in there, and more importantly: if it was what he had began suspecting, he had to let Clark know before it was too late. "Your pawns are far from your reach," he said. "I doubt you can send any orders to them," added Bruce inclining his head towards the device. Come on, Lex,_ take the bait._

Lex shot at him. The bullet ricocheted and hit the wall. "Kevlar," he observed. "Just checking." The gun was tossed away. "I don't think I'll be needing it."

Chloe stepped beside Bruce, Lex's mouth drawing back in a snarl, quickly controlled and changed into a smirk. "You should've ran away with the kid, Chloe."

He'd been monitoring them. Chloe remembered how Chris had told her about Lois and Clark before they found them. Not that it mattered now. "I'm not going without you walking with us directly to a prison."

"I'm not going anywhere," he simply said. She saw his fingers playing with the device he was holding. "Neither will you." His voice went deadly quiet.

"Hold."

Bruce's command sounded confusing at first, and then Chloe realized he was not talking to either of them; but Lex answered as if he were.

"Your lives are in my hands. You'd think I'd want something in exchange, wouldn't you?"

"No."

It wasn't a guess; it was a statement of fact.

"You're not stupid, are you, Batman?"

Bruce didn't bother to answer, he just remained there, blank stare, no emotion on the part of his face not hidden behind the cowl. But Chloe noticed his whole body was tense. "Why?," he simply asked. "You never leave traces behind, you always have an exit door. Why not this time?" Bite_._

"I don't need it," said Lex. There was a bittersweet tinge coloring his voice.

_There_.

Both men stood in front of each, in silent challenge. Chloe understood.

"You're killing us all," she finally said.

"You were always the brightest of the group," mocked Lex. "And why would I do this, Miss Sullivan? Why a suicidal setup?"

As clear as mud. Why indeed after all those years? And then she thought of the one possible answer, terrifying and at the same time. But the only way Lex would be willing to give up his life. "You're dying."

A long silence filled the corridor. Chloe felt cold. "Is it cancer?," she asked unsure of what tone to use. She wasn't sure she cared.

There was no answer.

She tried again. "There are treatments, ways to-"

"If there was a cure I would've already found it." His conviction came sharp as a knife and allowed no contradiction. "I have more resources than your whole criminal organization would even dream of sniffing. I bore some respect for your intelligence, Chloe, don't make me regret that with your poor blatancy." He closed his hand on the control device, the thumb on the small button.

"You speak of blatancy and all you planned was blowing us up," said suddenly Bruce. "But you won't kill the Kryptonian."

Lex smirked. "Who said I wanted to kill Clark?"

"Then why wear that kryptonite around your neck?," he taunted. _Come on, Lex, tell me_.

"Bruce," warned Chloe.

"He is bluffing," asserted Bruce. "You don't have the guts to do this, even if you're dying. You're just trying to secure your exit." _Tell me where is it._

"A woman is giving birth as we speak no more than ten feet away from the core. Are you willing to test that theory?," he threatened.

_Gotcha_.

"Bruce," implored Chloe.

"If you detonate the bomb, everything will be destroyed, but like you said Green Arrow and the boy remain free. And Superman alive."

Lex smirked. "And remembering everything that happened, knowing it was partly their fault that so many people died, including star reporter Lois Lane and her new born child, found to be half Kryptonian." Lex smirked. "Imagine the headlines. Superman exposed, renowned heroes made responsible of the slaughter, and Lex Luthor a martyr for the cause."

"You're delusional."

"For you I might be. But Clark? Knowing he will not find happiness ever again? That is something worth dying for, Miss Sullivan."

Chloe's eyes closed in disgust.

"This incurable illness, eating my body as we speak, feels almost a blessing as it finally grants me my fate, Chloe. It it must be with my dead, then so be it. Life is offering me a clean escape, and I'm taking it." Lex looked at his hand, a smile edging on his lips as he started pressing the button. "I have nothing to lose. So I go before my body becomes a cage, strong and on my free will, knowing how much I destroyed the life of the man who took everything I had, my father's love, my whole life, lie after lie."

"Clark only lied to protect those he loved," said Chloe.

"And tell me, Miss Sullivan, was I in that exclusive list?"

Chloe eyed him sadly. "You were. At first."

Her words made him snort in disgust. "He sent me to oblivion, took my father from me." He made a silent pause, pain edged in his face. Then hatred. "Now I'm bringing oblivion back to him. He will suffer the agony of losing everything for the rest of a very, very long time. I do wish he dies very old, Chloe, because life itself will be his damnation." Lex pressed the button.

Chloe felt the blast, the air coming from the explosion, and closed her eyes in reflex. But there was no sound, no blast. And she realized. It hadn't been the bomb what had caused the current of wind, which she now recognized with familiarity. She noticed something in her hand that hadn't been there before. It was warm. Some kind of transparent goo, stained with blood. Chloe understood and smiled. "You lose."

_**OOO**_

He didn't let his eyes off of her, and Lois saw the world she was shutting out, reflected in them. Emil was still working, calming them every other minute, assuring all was going according to plan. Then, she saw his face grow sad for a few moments.

"Clark?"

"It's ok. Trust me." His eyes never parted, but after that first signal of pain, his face calmed, and she saw another kind of focus, that of his hearing.

"Hon, is everything alright? The baby?"

"Beating. Emil?"

"How's this for an answer?"

A baby's angry cry was suddenly heard.

"Oh my God."

Clark's face turned into a smile despite the present danger they were in, but he didn't want to help it. His forehead found Lois' and he let himself be caught in the moment. "It happened, Lo, she's here, she's here," he whispered, receiving a kiss as answer.

"Can we—is she alright?," asked Lois when she broke up the kiss.

"Perfectly healthy as far as I can tell. Clark, will you hold her? I need to sew up Lois."

"Be right back." He left Lois and took the bundle, wanting nothing more than to snuggle with her and Lois and send the whole universe away. He caressed the face which was now silent and alert, watching the big finger gently cleaning the sticky substance still covering her little body. The baby blinked and made him chuckle as he walked towards Lois to show her their daughter.

For a second he'd forgotten about everything else, but then he forced his mind to focus completely on the very serious situation going on not far from that room.

The baby decided it had behaved enough, and started to cry again, as the pair of protective arms holding her stopped. As she was crying, she didn't see the face of the man carrying her still, then frown, then eyes opened wide. She only felt the arms stoping, then moving again.

Clark hurried beside Lois. "Hon?"

"Waiting here."

"Can you do me a favor?" He approached the other end of the cloth, finding her smiling despite the clear exhaustion written all over her frame.

"What is it?"

"I need you to be Lois Lane for a couple of minutes." He carefully handled the baby to her.

Lois noticed his hands were a little stained with the amniotic fluid, but said nothing as her eyes were filled with the baby.

"She's angry we took her out," he said as he carefully left their daughter safely with her mother.

Lois' eyes were set on the baby. "After the pain she gave me she can scream her lungs out, I don't ca—oh God, look at that face, she's—Oh my God, Clark, look what we made, I-"

"Hold that thought."

Lois felt a current of air, and Clark blurring slightly. Then back. "She is beautiful, we made it, I love you. Thank you."

"Clark, what-?"

"Nothing important. Like you said, what matters is right here."

_**OOO**_

"You lose."

Chloe opened her eyes. And dared to smile again.

"It's impossible. It was specially designed to-"

"It exploded," said Bruce matter-of-factly. "Far from here. Probably in outer space."

Lex looked back angry, realizing what had happened.

"Your technology was flawless, Mr. Luthor. You simply forgot about me and Oracle's equipment to disable certain frequencies." He then opened his hand and revealed a device Chloe knew well enough. Like he said, she had developed it. "Superman heard us all the time." Bruce walked towards Lex and stood in front of him.

Lex punched him. Bruce didn't even flinch. He simply grabbed him before he could attack him again or tried to reach for the gun. "A year ago you orchestrated the murder of someone I knew. And cared about. I believe you finally lose."

"I never-" But the words were empty.

This time it was Chloe's turn to speak. "Look around yourself, Lex. You failed. You lose and Superman couldn't care less about you right now. Because you are not important in his life. He fights you because you are a danger to the world."

"No," he snarled back. "He hates me. He does."

"He doesn't. Clark hates no one, and you know it, Lex," said Chloe, with definite conviction. "And I am going to turn around and walk away from you to meet the newest member of my family as you are taken to justice by one hero you never even fought before. Who also," she added with a triumphant smile, "couldn't care less about you." She looked at him in the eye, and for the first time in a very long time, the good guys were the ones to look ahead. Forward, without fear of looking behind their backs. "It is life, Lex. Cope."

_**OOOOO**_

**Music****: **_**Snow Patrol – **__The planet bend between us._ Lois and Clark, baby born.


	31. Chapter 30: A new life ahead

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

_**Chapter 30**__** "A new life ahead" **_

_Cope. _The word still tasted like honey on her lips, claimed by a smile for the past minutes. Chloe walked back a corridor that should not exist anymore. That should've been blown up together with the rest of the facility, hadn't it been for Clark and Bruce working together. Bruce had forced Lex to feed them the location of the bomb and Clark had taken it away. Silent bomb hidden in a place lined with lead, it was their only chance.

And they had won.

They had won.

God, they had fucking won!

_Cope_. It had sounded so perfect. Chuckling out of relief, her smile widened as she got to the room where she had left Lois. Helena and Emil were talking outside the door. Emil looked tired but happy, and Helena still tense, from what Chloe could see by noticing her alertness. "Big boy in red and blue didn't tell you it's over?," she asked Helena.

Helena smirked at the blonde woman approaching. "Just practicing my deadly glare when I see the bastard."

"How's Lois?," she asked them.

Emil answered. "As good as any new mother can be. And the baby healthy and safe."

"Hey, ignore the doctor, come on here," said Helena, crooking her hand motioning her to look closer. She placed her arm on Chloe's shoulder and directed her towards the little glass the blonde had looked filled with worry the last time. Only minutes before.

Unbelievable, or maybe not, how much life could change in such a short span of time.

"Ain't that like the cutest thing ever?" whispered Helena amused.

And it was, thought Chloe going suddenly from a wide smile to trying to prevent embarrassing tears of happiness. There they were, in their own little universe. Oblivious to everything around, Clark was cradling Lois in his arms, using his body as support. He was floating and with his sight, like Lois', on a little bundle her cousin was holding with exquisite care.

"What do you say, huh?," whispered a happy Helena. "This is not something you get to see everyday."

"I say you are right," said Chloe. "I say hopefully now we will get to see this every day." Her smile was as genuine as it could get. She breathed. In more ways than one. "And I say it's time to go home." Exhausted, she let herself lean on Helena. "Just give them a couple of minutes alone. Emil?"

"Diana's on her way back from Watchtower," he said, receiving an approving nod from Chloe. "Is it really over?," he cautiously asked.

Chloe looked at him and smiled again. "We got him."

This time the wary question came from Helena. "And Ollie and the boy?"

"We'll send a team to sweep the place and find the cure."

"Isn't it easier to have you do the computer wiz thing now that you seem to know what's wrong with them?," asked Helena wiggling her fingers in mime.

"I would if the files were in a computer," said Chloe. "I'll explain on the way. Meanwhile, Impulse will be far more useful than me." Helena's smile faded abruptly. Chloe turned to see what had made her react that way. Bruce came, calmly walking behind a handcuffed Lex. He stopped when he reached the group. Lex was tenser than a tightrope, failing at conceiling his disgust.

"Want to have a look, Lex?," asked Chloe with no emotion betraying her. "See how little they care about you?"

The words came automatically. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you, Chloe."

So did her emotionless answer, he noticed.

"Your threats don't work anymore, Lex," replied Chloe. And she understood it was true. "They just don't work."

Bruce took him away.

Chloe, Helena and Emil stood there, watching them walk away.

"Chloe?," asked Helena after a couple of minutes.

"Hmm?"

"After all this time he's hurt you…" She chose her words carefully. "I know you're a good person, but…not even an epic punch in his face?"

Chloe considered Helena's question. And realized that she didn't need that kind of closure. "He doesn't deserve it," she simply said. Then Chloe remembered something and chuckled. "Besides, I already told him to cope."

"You wench."

A snort was followed by a laugh, followed by two, and three, was the remaining sound left in the facility, strong enough to reach Lex's ears as one last stinging reminder of Chloe's offensive words.

The corner of Batman's lips curled up in a smile too.

_**OOO**_

The effects of the anesthetic were beginning to face.

Lois didn't care.

She was lost in that tiny face who had been crying while they carefully cleaned her, and then, suddenly, had decided that she didn't need to cry anymore, and had peacefully fallen asleep.

"You'd think she'd want to eat something," she'd observed using a low voice. "Aren't babies supposed to be angry because they're hungry?"

"Perhaps we should wake her up?," suggested Clark.

"Are you kidding me? Give me and my tits a little rest, please and thank you. I think I've earned it."

Chuckling, Clark hugged her tighter but gently, careful not to press on any stitch. "I still can't believe it," he whispered amazed.

"It's been a heck of a journey, hasn't it?," she said.

Wrapped in comfortable silence, Lois thought about her own words, and remembered. She thought about how she had welcomed certain needs that in another time had terrified her, now feeling the need to do it. Of Clark's doubts and fears; of making the decision, bringing forth more fears and what ifs. Of Lex returning; of holding a distraught Clark grieving for the murder of one of them. Of Chris back with them. And Chloe, the whole family together. Of them finding out she was pregnant, one of the most incredible moments in all their life together. All those things, linked and intertwined, leading to that very moment, when it had all come a reality. Of them holding their daughter in their arms, a breathing miracle. Lois smiled. A journey, indeed. And she wouldn't want it any other way.

Turning slightly she gazed at Clark, his eyes still fixed, amazed, on the baby while he rubbed her arm with his thumb. She wondered how would he feel right now, and guessed he was falling for their daughter as hard as her. And thought about the future, about them, their life, and-

"Lois?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

There had been pain, and fear, and suffering, for sure. But life without him in exchange of peace and security…

That was not an option.

"I love you too."

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **Eddie Vedder _Longing to belong_ Last scene, Lois/Clark.


	32. Chapter 31: Kiss the past goodbye

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **This and two other chapters and we're done with the fic. Once more, huge thanks to everyone who has read, enjoyed, commented and favorite-d this story. Wow. I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for taking your time in letting me know too :)

_**Chapter 31**__** "Kiss the past goodbye" **_

_**Metropolis. Emil Hamilton's private clinic. June, 2.**_

"Ollie's coming this afternoon, will you be here?"

"Yes. Dinah called yesterday, told me he was doing just fine."

Chloe entered the clinic walking with Clark, eager to see the new addition to the family. She'd been absent for the last days, first focused on finding the cure for Ollie and Chris and arranging the whole scenario to protect Clark's identity, then letting Chris be the one to visit and recover all the time lost with his parents and his new baby sister. After all, she'd been the one who held the privilege of spending time with the baby as they got into Diana's plane and were brought to the clinic while Clark tended to Lois, who had begun to hurt from the c-section scar a little more than necessary and had to be re-examined by Emil to make sure everything was in order.

And to everyone's relief, it was.

Watching Chris' face when he'd returned from the clinic the first time, had made up for not seeing the baby during those last days. And in a more selfish way, some time alone had been really needed to get some rest. She'd been exhausted.

Now, fresh and recharged, Chloe had met Clark for breakfast before heading to see Lois and the baby, and had taken the time to update her friend. And Clark had asked her something. Truth be told, she'd expected it.

"So there'll be no problem?"

"No," said Chloe as they reached the lift. "Cover's up and I can hack into the prison and disable sound surveillance. Just tell me when you want to do it."

The lift's door closed and they went up. "Can it be today?," he asked tentatively.

"I think so. Are you telling Lois?"

"Already did," he said.

The lift stopped. "She agreed?," she asked.

"As long as I let Lex know how does she feel about him."

"Pissed to no end?," she asked as they walked out of the elevator.

"Well, that's the concept, I think," he murmured.

"You think?" Chloe thought Clark was blushing a little.

"She used some words I hadn't heard before. The kind of words I'm not really willing to repeat here or anywhere else in the universe for that matter."

That sounded right like Lois. "So you'll tell him she's sorry he's dying but he deserves to be behind bars."

"To tell you the truth, Chloe," said Clark honestly, "I don't even know what to tell him myself, I just-" He was at a loss of words.

They walked down the corridor. "Do you think you'll get closure?," she asked quietly.

"I don't think I'll ever reach closure with Lex," he said sadly. "But I need to do this."

_Because it's who you are. _"I know." And saw in his face he appreciated her understanding. Words were not really needed between them anymore.

They reached the door. Clark stopped and remained silent for a second. Then smiled. "She's awake. I'll leave you two alone."

_**OOO**_

_**Watchtower. **_

He had been tied to a stretcher for a couple of days, between utter confusion and aching clarity. Dinah hadn't left his side until Emil had injected him the cure, and soon it'd been all gone. The hate, the need to kill. Almost as it had never happened.

Almost.

The serum, Emil explained, had dissolved the nano-particles that had messed up with his mind, somehow made invisible by Lex's technology.

Chloe had dispatched Impulse and Flash to find the cure or the formula to make it, apparently confident that the files had been saved in some sort of physical form. Bart had been sent to the facility, Wally to LexCorp's tower, and one of them, he hadn't asked who, had found the files that contained the antidote's formula in one of Lex's vaults. Apparently Chloe had been right in her guess, as usual, and Lex's men had been put under strict orders to destroy any computer-generated archive once they were done, and leave only a copy on paper as a security measure, to be destroyed once he died. Ollie had been given the news of Lex's cancer too.

He couldn't say he felt sad. He couldn't say Lex didn't deserve it, unlike the silent body lying on the bed he was sitting by now, observing with sad eyes. "I've been hoping it was all a blur, but it's not, you know?" The only answer was the constant rhythm of the ventilator providing air to her lungs. "I remember everything." More silence that the machines refused to muffle. "I feel so stupid." Ollie caressed her face, his throat tied in knots. "I'm so sorry, Tess."

He was cured, but he did remember everything. Shooting Clark, mocking Lois, hurting Dinah…A sour parting gift, a sick memento crafted by Lex, who was now held in Metropolis' maximum security under palliative care until his body gave up. "We did it right, this time. I-"

Ollie went quiet and listened, sadly noticing a change of patterned sounds coming from the monitor, realizing her heartbeat was growing slower. "Emil told me it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm glad." He caressed her face again. "Lex is dying." _Too._ The word was silenced before he pronounced it. "And I am glad, Tess. I won't rise a glass of champagne, but I am glad." Her heartbeat grew a bit slower. It was starting, and it was happening quickly. Like Emil had predicted, were it to occur on its own course. Ollie swallowed once, and his voice softened even more. "I was a jerk, by the way," he said. "Figured you'd like to know that, me being me and all." He paused. "I screwed up big time, Tess." He chuckled softly. It was bitter. "Jesus, you'd be laughing your ass off at me right now if you were conscious, wouldn't you? I don't even know why I'm talking to you right now."

"Because you don't want her to be alone when she goes away," said a voice.

Ollie turned his head. Dinah stood by the frame, sharing an understanding look with her husband and earning a sad but grateful smile in return for her presence.

"I really am a dastard if after all that has happened I still get to have you by my side."

"Probably," said Dinah softly as she started walking towards him. "But you are my dastard." Once by his side, Dinah took Ollie's hand and kissed it, grateful to have her husband back, no longer avoiding her touch. "And no one said we had to be perfect." She leaned and kissed him.

Ollie let the kiss linger, and once they parted, he let his eyes get lost in hers. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Are we still on to get to see Lois and the baby later?"

"It's going to be awkward," he said, and knew Dinah's silence was a confirmation. "It's also about time I go, I think. And I know you've been wanting to get down there too." But she'd remained by his side the whole time, not really wanting to go anywhere until she was sure he was ok.

Dinah kissed his forehead. "Lois and Clark haven't been alone, sweetie, and was exactly where I wanted to be."

Ollie kissed her again. "And you always seem to find the words. Thank you," he whispered.

Dinah sat by his side, not letting go of his hand while he turned his eyes to Tess.

"It's started," he said softly. A thumb rubbed his hand softly. "Won't be long now."

"If you want to be alone-"

"No," he said as he held her hand firmly. "Please, stay."

And Dinah did.

It wasn't long. She felt no pain. She died in peace and accompanied by people who cared for her. For the first time in her life, albeit a hurtful irony, Tess Mercer was truly not alone.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis. Emil Hamilton's private clinic.**_

The hospital bed was definitely more comfortable than the improvised stretcher. After a challenging day, the now known as 'just as stubborn as her mother baby' had finally fallen asleep, and they'd taken her to another room to give Lois a chance to have a nice warm shower and some rest.

How could she rest?, she wondered. She was still dazed and amazed at what had happened. All the pain, the stress, the fear, all gone in one simple moment of realization when she had been given that tiny little person, new to the world and already alert, as if not wanting to miss anything.

A soft knock and a head peering inside made her smile. "I was wondering when I'd get to see you."

"I wanted to give you guys time on your own, and when I came today Clark told me you weren't sleeping, so…"

"He's spying on me with super-hearing?" Lois rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Clark," she mildly protested knowing he'd be listening to her right now.

Chloe chuckled. "More like preventing the world from waking you up. I heard he even threatened a fly. So," she sat by her side. "How are you feeling?"

Lois welcomed the light conversation and the presence of Chloe, who she'd missed after they brought her here. She'd been stupidly respectful with letting her and Clark enjoying the baby on their own, knowing they'd be flooded with visits and she'd be monitored by Emil more than a quarterback during the Super bowl. How was she feeling? Ridiculously chipper. "Like I had a rotten melon inside and they just took it out." _Heh_.

"Ok, ew."

"Ok, I give," she said right before smirking mischievously when Chloe raised her eyebrow. "They took it out a couple of days ago."

Chloe's eyebrow was still arched.

Lois blinked. "You asked," she deadpanned.

"Are you planning on telling that to your daughter when she asks about her special delivery?"

"Think the alternative if she'd had a vaginal birth. 'How I peed a melon', by Lois Lane."

Chloe chuckled, and then, in a weird turn towards sappiness, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. And hugged her gently.

"What's that for?"

"You gave us quite a scare. I'm glad it's over."

Lois hugged her back. "Thanks for being there for us, Chlo."

"Anytime."

"But next time you're the one procreating."

A chuckle.

"I'm serious."

"I kind of need a father for that."

"Start looking or I will do it for you."

_**OOO**_

"Are you sure?"

It was the third time he asked. And it was the third time Dinah, patiently, gave him the same answer. "Sure I'm sure. Come on, Ollie, don't be such a chicken. We know how this works, you know them since like forever!"

"I wanted to kill them, Dinah," he reminded her.

"You wanted to kill us all, honey, and look at me, still at your side." She smiled when the corner of her eye revealed a presence nearby. "Hey, Clark." Clark turned his head. "I got an archer here without the balls to come and meet the new Lane-Kent addition."

Clark couldn't help but smile, Ollie's eyes rolling in response. "I swear, Dinah, he could be having a rabid drooling hyena in front of him and he'd still be sporting that goofy grin."

"Come on, love, move your butt down there and meet the lady."

Ollie looked at Clark, still waiting, and then spared an apprehensive look at Dinah. "Come with me?"

Her answer was taking his hand and starting walking. Before he knew, Ollie was in front of Clark. Not knowing what to do or say. And suddenly he found himself between two strong arms hugging him. "I'm glad you're alright, Oliver."

"W—I—" Somehow he managed to gather himself, and he returned the hug. "I'm so sorry, man, I—If anything-"

"Nothing happened. Now, come meet her."

Silently, they entered the room. The baby was asleep. "Wow. Tiny. I mean, not for a baby, I think, not that I should know but-"

Clark beamed. "She's a big baby in fact."

Ollie cocked his head. The light was dim, but…"And sort of orange."

Clark chuckled. "A skin condition within ordinary human parameters. With proper exposure to sunlight she'll be back to normal."

Dinah was casually leaning on Ollie, smiling at the sleeping baby. "She's beautiful, Clark. Not that I am the most impartial person in the world, but I think she's beautiful."

"I guess she's kinda cute," said Ollie. "For a baby."

Dinah rolled her eyes, but bit back any comment. That was something Ollie would say, and at this moment, after what they'd been through, she realized that was what she wanted to hear. Ollie. And by the understanding look she got from Clark, he thought that too.

However…

"How's Lois?" Ollie couldn't avoid the guilt on his voice.

Clark warmed his eyes and voice. "She's fine. She asked about you, she was concerned."

"She has a reason to be mad too, y'know."

Clark nodded. "She might hold a grudge at you for letting yourself be shot, but other than that she's really glad to know you're ok."

"At least all is left are good news," said Ollie somewhat sad. "Clark, this morning, Tess…"

Clark nodded, her face somber, sad. "I heard. Diana saw you with her in the room. She called."

"I hate to say it was for the better, Clark, but…"

"I know. I'm sorry, I…"

"I didn't have to do it. Pull the plug, I mean. She made it official before I got the chance."

Clark reflected. And found a place for a tiny smile. "Doing it her way. Sounds like Tess."

Yes it did.

Clark felt the sadness in Ollie, and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "She was not alone when she left, Ollie. I'm glad she had a friend. I'm glad she had you."

_**OOO**_

"So, can I ask the big question?"

"No, we are not getting married." She smiled mischievously. "At least not until I propose."

Chloe snorted. "You're gonna give him a heart attack one of these days, you know."

"Yeah. Lucky he's not from this world."

"I was actually asking about the name."

"I thought Chris told you."

Chloe shook her head. "He said you wanted to tell me yourself."

Lois knew why. "Damn kid, each time getting cuter."

Chloe chuckled. "So, what name did you pick?"

"You figured _I_ picked it?," she asked faking offense.

Chloe raised one eyebrow in respond.

Lois scowled. "But Clark agreed," she said defending herself.

"Sure he did," drawled Chloe.

"No, seriously. He liked it."

"So, what will it be?"

Lois let a silent pause before telling. "Ella."

Chloe smiled warmed by her few memories of Lois' mother. "Like aunt Ella. Sounds-"

But she got an answer she was honestly not expecting.

"And like aunt Chloe too."

Ella Hunt. It seemed so far now, she'd almost forgotten.

Seeing the array of emotions in Chloe, Lois cupped her face with her hands. "She's going to be so proud of you, Chlo."

Chloe had been left without words. "Wow," was the only thing she managed to say.

"I know. But, Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"You disappear on us again, I'm dragging you back home by the hair."

"Got it."

A knock on the door interrupted the moment, and a new blond head peered inside.

Chloe waved her hand, smiling. "Hey!"

Dinah waved back and stepped inside, not closing the door.

"Dinah, you look like hell." The words escaped Lois' mouth before she could stop them.

"I know," she said as she stepped aside a little, opening the door and revealing a still figure, with a bundle in his arms, looking like a deer in front of a car. "Ollie's the only one with a serious case of myopia."

Clark had insisted on him bringing the baby with them, saying he had to go and run some errands. He'd been gone before Ollie could protest, and Dinah was still hurting from the wounds, so... Reluctantly but with no other option, he'd carefully held the baby, who had chosen that moment to open her eyes, blinking several times while she studied that new face and, closing her eyes again, deciding she liked that new warm place, she'd gone back to sleep. Dinah had smiled and whispered at him that, didn't she know better, she would've sworn the baby had cuddled.

Ollie had melted a little.

Lois looked at him. Looking all uncomfortable and guilty and tense. And still one of the safest places where she could put her daughter. "Ollie, you look adorable, but I'm not going through the guilt trip with you. I've had enough of that with Chris already. Damn kid refuses to hold the baby until he's 200% sure he's good, good, and nothing more than good. At least you grew the balls for it," she said with her eyes fixed on the baby, a smile on her face and not a speck of fear to be found in her.

He faked the humor. "So I can drop the act?"

"Please."

He walked with the baby towards the bed, and put it carefully on Lois' arms, giving her a warm and gentle hug. "Can I still whisper a plea?"

"Just one."

"I'm so sorry, Lois, please forgive me."

"I know you're sorry, Ollie, but there's really nothing to forgive," she assured. "That jackass was not you, so forget about it, ok?"

He nodded, and both friends knew that some day he would believe her words and find a way to forgive himself.

"Clark already gone?," asked Chloe.

Dinah nodded. "Yes. Told us he had to do a couple of things."

Lois and, she noticed, Chloe too, knew where he was going.

"Gotta go," said actually Chloe planting a kiss on Lois' cheek and sparing a loving smile for Ella. "See you later."

"'Kay."

"See you, guys."

Ollie and Dinah waved their hands as Chloe left and carefully closed the door.

"Clark told us the name," said Dinah with a wide grin. "I like it."

"Thanks," said Lois. "I left Clark to choose the Kryptonian one."

"Well, tell him to pick up an easy nice one," said Ollie. "She's gorgeous, by the way," he added sounding completely convinced, forcing Dinah to swallow back a snort.

"That's because she's asleep," whispered Lois. "You won't think the same when she awakes screaming vengeance until her stomach is full again."

_**OOOOO**_

**Music: **Tess' death _**Gus gus **__Dominique_


	33. Chapter 32: Our ways back home

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Rating: **T

**Notes: **And here the journey ends! (yeah, that's right, I did the math wrong...Nah, just decided that the epilogue as a stand-alone chapter would be hyper-short and I think it works right in here. Plus you all get a good long ending). I know I've replied to all of you with a profile who have commented on this fic, but really, thanks again. And to those who have given me a little of their time but to whom I could not reply, thank you so much! All these reviews made my days, I'm so glad you liked the fic! Onto the story.

_**Chapter 32 "Our ways back home" **_

_**Gotham City cemetery.**_

He hadn't expected to see him here today. Clark felt he was invading, despite the fact that he was already there when Dick Grayson came to place a white rose on the tomb. Right by the one Superman had carefully placed by the engraved name.

Barbara Gordon.

"I…Sorry," apologized Clark. "I didn't want to intrude, I'll-"

Dick's smile was kind. "No, don't. Thank you for coming to pay your respects."

Both men stood silently before the grave. Clark felt clumsy. But Dick didn't seem uncomfortable. Just sad. A strange kind of accepting, tranquil sadness.

"It's hard to wake up everyday and not have her around," said the younger man.

A memory went back to Jonathan Kent and the void he'd left behind.

"Some days, they just pass me by. Others it gets better. You know, in our line of work…death is always present, and still we deal with so many different and preternatural things that when death hits us it seems…"

Clark finished his sentence. "Like we don't understand how could that happen."

Dick nodded. "You never really expect it."

And yet he had suffered severe losses in his life, reflected Clark. In a way, he'd been forged by death, like Bruce.

"I know it was a stupid thing to do," continued Dick, "but I used to think she'd died of old age. And she'd deal with my death better than I'd do with hers." He fell silent for a moment. "I was wrong."

Clark waited for him to go on, curious to know what did he want to say.

"The day of her anniversary I went with Helena to the Clocktower." Dick spoke with serenity, eyes fixed on the tomb, on her name. "Visited our home. First time since her death. Bruce had been the one taking care of things over there. He left a box for me. Had pictures, books…stuff he'd found around and knew I'd like to keep with me. Some things I'd never seen before, among them a small wicker box with a journal in it." He chuckled softly. "With all the time she spent typing, you wouldn't believe how beautiful her handwriting was."

"Hers," thought Clark aloud referring to the journal.

Dick nodded. "She had…Babs sometimes had nightmares, and she never really got over her accident, as she used to call it. The months that followed...that was a very bleak time in her life, and then...she never stopped blaming herself for failing. Everyone told her it wasn't her fault, and every time the subject was out, she'd sternly said it could've been avoided, and went as far as telling us exactly what she should have done."

"She was stubborn." Clark had few memories of her, but he remembered instantly liking her. In a way her strength and resolve had reminded him of Lois.

Dick smiled. "Like you have no idea. I read the journal, and found that behind that stubbornness lay her fear of losing her loved ones." Dick raised his eyes and looked at Superman, finding a deep understanding in his words. "She was glad it had been her and not her father the one shot. And she worked hard to protect the people she loved. Did you know she fired Dinah after she got her legs broken in order to protect her?"

Clark nodded. He remembered Dinah's frustration over Barbara's decision. And now understood a little better Dinah's concern over her friend, which he hadn't really comprehended at the time. As if Canary had known there was more than just worry behind Oracle's rather harsh decision. "Barbara feared she could lose you too?"

"As Oracle she held a good deal of responsibility over us," said Dick. "But wouldn't talk about it. Not even with me, always pulling that stoic face of hers."

Like he had done with Lois all those years ago. Only that she'd called it his epically stupid and useless emotional blankness, which only served as a means of infuriating her. Considering that, he'd dropped the act pretty soon. Everyone was different, he knew. And both Lois and Barbara, each in their style, were one of a kind.

Dick continued. "We both knew it could happen to either, but…" He sighed. "I guess we didn't want to come to grips with that reality."

No one willingly accepted the death of a loved one. "You never get used to it."

"No, you don't," acknowledged Dick grimly.

"Neither will help the fact that Lex is finally caught, will it?"

"No, it won't." He let out a sigh. "But at last justice has been served."

"I'm so sorry for all that happened, Richard." Clark didn't expect Dick's hand on his shoulder, in a comforting manner. Him. Being the one comforted. His mind slapped him in the back of his neck a couple of times, but Clark remained still, thinking maybe Dick needed that too.

"I know you are. And it was not your fault," he said, "so don't let it haunt you." And somewhere, somehow, Dick found a smile to give. "I hear there are more important things to take care of now," he said.

Superman's identity had never been spoken between them, but Dick guessed the man would know that any alumnus of Batman was prone to be good enough to find out. And knew he could be trusted. And he really wanted to be able to talk about something happy for a change.

Clark couldn't help the smile. Of course Dick would know who he was and what had happened. Bruce had trained him well.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you." Clark had thought about this while standing by Barbara's grave, and decided to share his thought with him. "Richard?"

"Yeah?"

"She is going to grow very proud and grateful for her extended family." He wasn't sure if the suggestion would hurt more than be welcomed, but—

Dick correctly understood his words. "I'll make sure she knows all the cool stories about uncle Bruce and cousin Dick."

"I'll make sure she asks about her cousin Barbara too." He extended his hand and grabbed Dick's. "Thanks."

Dick accepted the broad hand and nodded in gratitude. "See you around."

Superman left flying. He had two last visits to pay before returning to his family.

_**OOO**_

After taking Lois and the baby to Metropolis from that horrid place, Diana had gone to Themyscira to spend some time, returning to the Watchtower days later to find both good and sad news. Miss Mercer's recent passing on one hand, Oliver's and young Chris' complete recovery on the other.

Walking around, she'd found a figure with slumped shoulders standing before the bed where Tess Mecer's remains lay, soon finding out it was Chloe sparing a silent moment with the ill-fated woman. She'd waited outside in respectful silence, and once Chloe turned to leave the room, greeted her with a quiet smile, and decided to stay longer and spend some time with the woman, of whom she'd easily had grown fond, though wondering why was she in her usual work mode when she'd figured that, with the low activity they were having these days, she'd be in Metropolis, close to her family.

Chloe had explained her about Clark's visit to the prison Luthor was kept in, and she had a couple of things to have ready and secured, which comprised giving Clark Kent clearance to enter as visitor and, once the reporter was inside, hack into the sound surveillance system to disable it, just in case, although, strange enough there hadn't been any mention of secret identities coming out from Lex. Chloe had everything ready within a few minutes.

"Kal was friends with him, wasn't him?" He had never spoken much of his adolescent years in Smallville, but Kal-el had mentioned to her that he had met him there.

Chloe nodded "A long time ago. Seems unreal now," she said, "all I ever seem to remember is Lex trying to hurt Clark."

"Hate is a powerful weapon," observed the amazon.

"One Lex has wielded with perfection," said Chloe with both sadness and anger. Granted, Lex had wanted to hurt them all, but especially Clark. And this time would have been the worst, the final blow. They would all have died in that explosion except for Clark, who would've lost everything, maybe to the point of no emotional recovery. "If that plan had worked...Lex would've died knowing he'd destroyed Clark." She made a silent pause as if considering something else. "I think he was pushing Clark towards his limits, as much as he could. She made a quick self-approving nod. "He wanted Clark to go over his boundaries."

Diana understood the meaning of that last sentence. "Do you think...?"

Chloe nodded. "Think about it. Lex knew he was going to die. If it was from his illness, at least he would have seen Clark devastated by the worst losses of his life. And if he succeeded in his ultimate goal...he would've really destroyed both, Diana; the man and the superhero."

"By dying at the hands of Superman, finally seeing hate in his eyes, making him a murderer."

"Clark could be the biggest menace this world has known. Imagine what would happen if Lex showed that potential-"

"Becoming a martyr himself in the process."

"But Kal would've never killed him," said Diana firmly. Chloe's smile revealed the blonde knew that too from the beginning, and found comfort in that conviction. And she felt grateful that fact was an undeniable truth, because that, taking a life…Chloe was right: that would've been a point of no return for him.

"I'm just glad this is over," said Chloe. At that precise moment the prison surveillance monitor showed a tall young man walking to the gates, dressed with a not very classy suit with exaggeratedly combed dark hair and slightly big glasses, that he constantly adjusted with his fingers. "Almost over."

_**OOO**_

_**Gotham City. Batcave.**_

Just like every other day. For Bruce, it all started at sunset. Handled to the authorities by Batman, Lex Luthor had been on the national news all week. Now, another day started for Batman, and Bruce was glad it had all finished.

He descended the stairs of the cave and started working out when something out of place caught his attention. He went to the table. A small doll, pretty much like Barbara's, lay there, only it was a small Batman. With a note. _I used the door this time. I swear. Figured you wouldn't like a red and blue one, so a dark knight it is. Lois chose it. Thank you. For everything. S._

Bruce pressed a button. "Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Bruce."

"Would you mind checking my agenda for tomorrow and scheduling a visit to Metropolis?"

"Miss Lane called and requested that same thing," said the Butler. "I already took the liberty to arrange a visit."

_Lois. _He smiled. "Thank you, Alfred."

"She said to tell you not to be late."

_**OOO**_

Clark adjusted his glasses with his fingers as he thanked the guard who let him pass into the cell. Focusing his hearing, he confirmed that they couldn't listen to whatever was said in that cell, and stepped inside.

"I was expecting you," said a well-known voice behind a chair. "Doesn't mean I wanted to see you."

Clark remained silent.

Lex turned the chair and stared directly at him, his face unfathomable. "Came to tell me I deserve this?"

Would Lex really think he was glad that Lex was going to die? "No one deserves being sick," he said with no trace of doubt in his voice.

Lex didn't seem moved at all. "I don't need your mother Theresa pose, Clark, so spare me the drama. You're here. Talk."

The answer came stark honest. "I don't know what to tell you, Lex."

For a moment, Lex Luthor found himself speechless. Just for a moment, and not in a good way. "You don't know," he said.

"I only knew I had to come."

Lex's face revealed no change in his emotions, and Clark realized with sadness that he was not surprised about that blankness. His voice, however, was colored with hate.

"You are such a pathetic sentimental fool, Clark. Came to see if I'm suffering? Already checked my body to see how much it's already damaged?"

"No, I haven't."

Lex stood up and walked slowly towards Clark, his eyes never avoiding his. "I hate you. And you know it."

He did. "You blame me for many things, Lex, but I didn't do anything. You made your choices. You chose to believe I was evil."

"My life had its path settled until you came into it and changed everything."

"I saved your life," he reminded him.

"And I bet you'll be regretting that for the rest of your life."

Was that false conviction and a smirk all that was left?, Clark wondered sadly. And then, suddenly, the words came. It was so simple. "I'm sorry that you're dying Lex. And I'm sorry you're alone. I wish I could've been your friend."

Truth was simple. It was them, people, who twisted and turned it, losing sight of it.

"I wish you'd let me in as a friend, and I wish you would've found someone, like I did. Someone who loved you with all your flaws and virtues. Someone who'd confront you when you were wrong, and inspired you to be a better person every single day, 'better' never being good enough." Clark wished he could see a change in Lex, but he didn't. "I'm sorry you didn't want a family when you lost yours." His voice hardened slightly, and gained in sadness. "When you killed your father," a long known realization, "you set yourself on a path of no return." He sighed. The person before him remained quiet. Never defeated, always proud. But…alone. "You could've been so much, Lex. Such a great human being."

_I guess I ended up being more human than you'll ever be_. H

Clar looked at Lex, and understood it would probably be the last time he saw him. "I really wish you would've found love, Lex. I really wish it."

Whatever answer he would've been given, it would remain buried under layers of hate.

Clark left and never looked back.

_**OOO**_

_**Metropolis.**_

Before heading to the clinic, Clark made a quick stop home to gather a few things Lois had asked for. He thought about Lex, about how pointless had become trying to talk to him. His heart had become clay, an impervious crafted film of loathing. And he had finally given up. Because either that, or, maybe more realistic, Lex was well informed of the League's operation to cover his identity and protect Lois and the baby, because the names Clark Kent and Superman hadn't been mentioned one single time since he'd been detained and imprisoned.

The only thing that had transcended the news had been Lex's final imprisonment. And the main contingency had been covered. J'onn had impersonated him, thus Clark Kent had been 'casually' seen in public with Superman several times.

At least the visit to the prison had left things settle, however little Clark liked it. But if it was Lex's last riot act to claim his freedom of mind…He sighed. _No point in looking back, Clark. Look ahead_.

They all deserved it. His family had earned it.

He smiled a little. Ma would come and meet her granddaughter tomorrow, and Lois had accorded to spend the first month or so in Smallville during one of her fear attacks regarding her maternal instincts and baby-handling skills. And while they accommodated to the new situation, their life schedule being the madness that it was, Clark couldn't be more thankful for that.

It was late when he flew back, and everyone had gone home except for Emil, who had insisted on staying to monitor mother and child for the first couple of days, and the lonely figure looking through the glass, still unsure of what to do.

Clark landed silently and studied his son. He dared not enter the room, but his eyes were eager to become the big brother Clark knew he wanted to be. "She is going to love you so much, Chris," he told him.

Chris turned, not aware of his presence and looked at Clark for a moment before turning his sight towards Ella, peacefully sleeping. "Even when she knows what happened the day she was born?," he asked very quietly.

'_Even when'? He doesn't get it, does he? _"Especially when she knows what happened the day she was born."

"Dad, I-"

"No." Clark made sure he sounded firm and convincing when he walked by his side and placed his hands on Chris' shoulders so the boy would look at him. "Listen to me, son." _Son_. A warm memory invaded him of Jonathan, his father, calling him the same way. Ever since Chris had come he had felt that very especial memory quite close. And the fact that such a remarkable boy as Chris would look up to him the same way he had looked to Jonathan Kent filled him with a mixture of pride and responsibility, the wish to try and be at least half the great father that Jonathan was. "You saved our lives, Chris. You protected us, no matter the cost to you."

"I-"

Clark refused to let him finish. "You would've died before hurting Lois or the baby."

"Or you."

Clark pressed his lips at the assertion. "Or me."

"I would put her life in your hands in a heartbeat, Chris. Do you understand that?"

"I-" He nodded. And the boy in him resurfaced again, hugging his dad as strongly as he could. "Thank you Dad. Thank you so much."

"No. Thank you, Chris. Thank you." They stood like that for some time. Then Clark broke the embrace and looked at him smiling. "I think your mom's awake. Why don't we go see her? I'm sure your sister will soon be awake too. And I bet she's expecting to see her brother when she opens her eyes."

A bright smile he hadn't seen in the last few days reappeared in all its exultance, and standing, Chris followed Clark inside the room. Chris looked at her, cocking his head and squinting his eyes. "Dinah and Chloe were talking earlier, you know," he whispered. "I don't mean to be rude, Dad, but…how can they see any resemblance to anyone in a new born?"

Ah, the famous mystery. "I don't know. Who did they say she looks like?," he asked curiously.

"Dinah said she was definitely a Lane. Chloe, that from nose upwards she was all you." He made a face while he studied his little sister. "I love her and all, but honestly, I cannot say who she looks like."

Clark chuckled and gently took the baby. "Perhaps if you hold her closer?" He motioned his arms in a silent gesture, telling Chris to hold her.

"Are you sure?"

"Lois is going to drool over the sheets when she sees you enter carrying your baby sister. I'm taking photos. If you give me a second I'll go home and take the camera."

Chris rolled his eyes as he smiled wryly. "Dad."

But the laugh was cut short as Chris found himself holding the baby. The movement seemed to awaken her. She stirred a little and opened her eyes, finding a pair of very round brown eyes looking back at her. Ella decided she liked where she was, poked her tongue, raising a chuckle as response and closed her eyes again, comfortably snuggled within the warmth of the arms carefully holding her. "I think she likes me, Dad."

"Of course she does. Come on, let's go see Lois."

Chris didn't take his eyes from the baby as they walked to Lois' room. "I think I like the idea of her having a little of both of you."

Silently beaming, Clark opened the door, finding Lois and enjoying all the changes in her face the moment she saw Chris all focused in walking while not waking his sister up. He should have really brought the camera. Soon, Lois' eyes searched his and they got lost in each other for a private happy moment, until a happy voice continued its own train of thought.

"A little bit of both. Definitely yes. She's going to be awesome."

_**Fin.**_

_**EPILOGUE "A DAY IN LIFE" **_

_**Metropolis. 17**__**th**__** March, 2021 – Smallville. Morning**_

Sleeping habits had changed dramatically over the last months. And she couldn't care less. Not even when she got back to work. When you were Lois Lane, star investigative reporter of the Daily Planet, and shared your life with Superman and had a full and one half kryptonian child whose abilities were still about to be seen, sleep deprivation was the last of your worries.

Not that it had ever been on Lois' list of concerns, to be honest. And not that she had any reason to complain. Life came as it came, sometimes, and what you had left was to make the most of it. Life with Clark was…it was out of this world in every sense of the word.

Stirring, Lois turned to his side of the bed and found and empty space. "Hmmm, and there I thought I'd have my blanket around," she murmured scowling.

"Really funny, Miss Lane."

Lois let her eyes get used to the dim light and found Clark holding a very alert but quiet baby in his arms, automatically stealing a bright lazy grin from Lois. "Well isn't this a sight for sleepy eyes."

Clark stood and walked to the bed. "She's dry and clean, warm and ready to eat."

"Already? You could've woken me up, Smallville. You arrived pretty late tonight."

"Responsibilities, remember? I don't need that much sleep, and I was fulfilling my end of the bargain. You get to feed her now."

Clark gave her Ella as she uncovered her breast and positioned the baby, who quickly found the nipple and started suckling happily. "Ouch, you," she told her softly as the baby made her wince. "You know, Clark, I'm really glad kryptonian pregnancies turned out to be not that different from human, and my body didn't go through wonky changes, but I'm also hoping she doesn't develop any kind of strength until after this."

Clark leaned on the mentioned body parts and smiled. "I've already spoken to her about nipple nibbling." The snort widened his grin. "Told her that's a Daddy thing." Which got him a playful slap.

Which got Lois a tender kiss she couldn't resist. "Chloe and the Queens are finally coming to spend the weekend?"

Clark nodded. "I also invited Dick and Donna Troy."

Lois' eyes grew slightly round. "Are they an item?," she suddenly asked.

"Umm….not that I know of."

"Like you're the source of all gossip," she replied with a roll of eyes and a snort.

Clark eyed her suspiciously. "You're not planning…"

Lois looked at him with a pair of innocent hazel eyes.

"Lois, I think Chloe's old enough to-"

"Tsk, tsk." For a moment Clark thought she was talking about her cousin, until she saw her holding Ella's head and directing her tiny open mouth to her other breast. "You'd think she'd know when to stop. No wonder she burps like Barney."

"The dinosaur?"

A roll of eyes.

"Oh."

"You have a strangely convenient super deaf ear when you want to."

"Lois, that's…"

"Tell your daughter, I'm not the one with a super mini set of lungs and stomach. She does burp like a champion beer drinker."

Clark leaned closer to the baby. "Honey, ignore your mother, you most definitely not-"

The loud burp sounded with astounding timing. Clark's mouth closed and opened, and closed, followed by his eyes timidly rising towards Lois', already looking at him trying hard not to burst out laughing as she held the Ella, who had gone back to her task.

A rapid change of the conversation was in order. "Ollie and Dinah have finally started trying."

"Really? About time." She said, finally controlling her need to laugh out loud at the baby's gorgeous timing. And then simply smiled mischievously at Clark's announcement. "Now I get to be the mother of all hens."

"You are going to love it."

"You have no idea, Mr. Kent," she said as she bowed her head to have his lips meet hers.

Lips that Clark welcomed for as long as they wanted. Then looked back at her as they broke the kiss, a baby between them, albeit reluctantly. Clark's eyes fell back on the baby in question. "You know. I still look at her and…it still feels so amazing."

"It is, Clark." She let him lean and looked up to meet his lips again. "This is our life, full of amazings."

"Only because you're in it. I love you."

"I love you."

_And love…__ What a different life had I not found this love with you._

_Pearl Jam. Parachutes._

**Music**:

Dick and Clark's scene was partly inspired by _**Death cab for cutie **__I will follow you into the dark_

Lois and Clark: _**Pearl Jam **__Parachutes._

**Soundtrack: **I left a link for the music compilation in my profile.

**Thanks, thanks and THANKS to all!**

Wow. :)


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